Love Beyond Time
by amk8930
Summary: Yami Yugi uses his Millennium Puzzle to travel forward in time, while taking Jaden Yuki along with, and together the two of them try to help Yusei fulfill a promise he made to them: to confess his feelings for Akiza. What happens when the two of them team up to help Yusei with his love life and how will Akiza react to all of it? Faithshipping, Yusei x Akiza, Possible OOC
1. Flying into the Future

**Chapter 1!**

**Hey everyone! It's my new story and it's a more detailed and spin off of one of my previous stories "Not What I Expected." It follows Yami Yugi and Jaden as they head to the future to help Yusei nail the girl he's so deeply in love with, but is too shy and afraid to tell her. There are a few things you should know about the story before I start:**

**1. Yami is mainly going to be appearing it this story and, sadly, not Yugi. I'll have some brief Yugi mentions at the beginning and maybe sometimes in the story. However, Yami is going to be the only one of the two that can appear when they are in the future (which is pretty much the whole story). The same is true for Jaden, with no Yubel or any other spirits. I don't want too many characters appearing all at once and I worry it gets too complicated.  
**

**2. I don't want to get into the fight of who Jaden/Yami like and if they are straight or homosexual. I want to keep this story neutral and not get into a shipping war. If you'd like to say what your feelings are in a review, that's fine with me. All I can say about pairings is that 5D's has Yusei and Akiza just about as canon as possible, at least from my point of view. The other shows lead characters, while I have watched all the spin offs so far, I'm not sure about.**

**3. I want you to help me with this story too. I looked back on some of my old stories and noticed how much I used you (the reader's) ideas. I think that was a lot of fun and hopefully made my stories interesting and fun to read. If you have a suggestion of what you want Yami and Jaden to either do to Yusei or just in general, leave a review or PM. There are a few ideas that I want, but I also want your input too. Any ideas are appreciated.**

**Anyways, here's the story, as it starts in Yugi's time.**

Yami was laying inside, on the bed, on a beautiful day. He sighed as he started thinking about the duel that had happened so long ago. It was him, Jaden, and Yusei when they battled Paradox. He sighed as he remembered what happened after that victory. He turned on his side and closed his eyes. They had made a promise to each other right before they left. However, there also was another promise they had made before. Yami remembered it as if it happened yesterday.

_Flashback_

Yami and Jaden smiled as they turned towards Yusei, "Come on Yusei," Jaden encouraged him, "Put your hand in a make a promise with us." Yami nodded, "Yeah. Promise us that you'll tell Akiza that you love her." Yusei was about to, but pulled back. He then firmed up and put his hand on top. "All right," he said, "I'll promise to tell Akiza that I love her."

_End Flashback_

As Yami went to the other side, he sighed. 'Did Yusei ever tell her?' he wondered. He remembered that, before they had made the promise, Yusei really changed. Yusei had been so uptight and serious when they dueled. But as soon as he mentioned Akiza and they started talking, he got all nervous and shy. It was funny just how quiet and red Yusei turned when Jaden and himself had pressed for more information. As Yami rolled onto his back, he started talking.

"He probably didn't tell her," he said out loud to himself, "He probably was too shy and nervous." Yami sighed. "If only I could make sure that he told Akiza just how much he loved her." Suddenly, the puzzle around his neck glowed. Yami touched it and was suddenly transported back into it. Inside, Yami looked around. Normally, Yugi was standing there next to him when they met in the puzzle. However, Yami didn't see or hear him, even as he called out his name.

It wasn't just that which seemed odd to him. Yami didn't feel like he had changed bodies at all. He still felt as though he was in control. When Yami looked around, he saw he was in a room he had never saw before. Above a door, was writing. It wasn't in Ancient hieroglyphics thankfully. It was written in simple English. "The Promise Room," Yami read as he went up to the door. Next to the door was a scroll, which was also, thankfully, written so that he could read it.

"You are here, because you desire the need to ensure a promise has been fulfilled. It is one that would change someone's life forever. Inside this door is a way to travel through both time and space to ensure that the promise is completed. However, there are some rules to which you must know and follow:

1. Only people you have met before, whether in the past or future, will recognize you. No matter what you have done or accomplished, you will not be recognized by anyone else, unless you befriend them.

2. You must take only one other person with you."

Yami's instinct instantly told him Yugi, but the scroll continued with:

"This person must not share the your body with their's."

Yami instantly thought about who he could take. Joey? Tristan? Tea? However, his mind quickly went to someone else. "Jaden!" he said happily, "He'll remember the promise that we made and Yusei will know him!" Yami then read the scroll and it told him to say who he wanted to go with. "Jaden Yuki," he said proudly. Jaden's name then appeared in it's proper place.

3. You may stay as long as necessary. People in your time will not remember or realize that you left. Time will even stay still, no matter how long you and your choice partner are gone.

4. You are the only person who can go. No other person or body switches may occur."

To Yami, that made sense. He was the one who made the promise to Yusei and Jaden, so it made sense to only have him go. He then kept reading.

5. You may change clothes, eat, and alter time without worries about it affecting your time.

6. Once your goal and promise is complete, the only way for you to return to your own time is that you must both be ready to go and, without doubt, know that the promise will stay fulfilled forever. To return back or jump times, to either get the selected person or to go where the promise is occurring, simply have you and/or the person you are with hold onto the top of the puzzle.

Yami re-read the scroll and saw that the scroll could be taken with him on his journey. It then asked him to state what his goal was. Yami thought about it for a moment and said it slowly and confidently. The last question was if he accepted the terms and conditions."Yes," he said firmly and put his hand on top of the puzzle. The door opened and Yami was instantly rushed to the other side.

At Duel Academy, Jaden was playing a game with all of his friends: Syrus, Alexis, Baston, Chazz, Hasselberry, and Jessie. Suddenly, a purple and black hole opened with star like lights in the background. Yami quickly appeared in a swirl of sparkles and the whole group of GX students stared at him. "Hey Yami!" Jaden said excitedly as he ran up to him, "Good to see you again!"

Jaden turned around, expecting all of his friends to be aw struck. Instead, they looked at him and Yami puzzled. "Come on you guys! This is Yami Yugi! One of the greatest duelists of all time!" They all looked at him and stared. "Who's that Jaden?" Chazz asked. "Yeah Jaden, is he your new friend?" Jessie asked. Jaden's jaw dropped.

"Come on guys! This is the king of game's we're talking about! You know! Big star! Dueling legend! Guy who was with Yugi and stuff!" Everyone looked at him as if he was crazy. "We all know who Yugi is," Baston replied. "But if this guys trying to be Yugi, then he's an imposter!" Hasselberry replied. Jaden couldn't believe it, until Yami whispered. "They don't know who I am on purpose," Yami whispered. Jaden turned to him and Yami whispered to him some more.

"I need your help. Yusei hasn't gone on with our deal on him telling Akiza and I need your help. I used the power of my puzzle to get here and can use it to go ahead to Yusei's time. We can stay there as long as necessary with no worries about wrecking our times up. In fact, these guys won't remember this or that you'll be gone, since time will stand still." Jaden didn't quite understand, as it was still all so sudden, but Yami needed his help. So, he was going to help him any way he can.

"All right. I don't know what it is, but if it means helping Yusei confess his love, then count me in. I'll pay him a visit and make sure eveything's all right." Jaden turned around and saw Syrus and Alexis come up to him. "Aww man. He's not your new sidekick is he?" Syrus asked. Jaden laughed. "Course not Sy. You're still my best buddy." Alexis smiled. "So who is this guy and why is he here?" Jaden felt guilty not telling her, but knew he couldn't spill the beans.

"Well...see...it's very important and I've got to get going on it." He quickly turned to Yami. "How do we get going?" he asked. Yami smiled. "Just touch my puzzle," he said and they both put their hands on the said item. Everyone else watched as they disappeared in a trail of sparkles, with Jaden giving them his trademark symbol as his left hand remained on the puzzle. Once they were gone, everyone just stared and wondered, "What was that?"

As Yami and Jaden flew into the future, Yami was able to fill Jaden on the last couple of details. Jaden understood and there was suddenly a bright white light. They both closed their eyes and felt themselves being transported somewhere. When they felt themselves not moving anymore, they managed to slowly open their eyes. They looked around and realized they were standing in a white room. They then saw it was a bathtub with a shower on it. Next to the tub was a bunch of shampoos and conditions. One looked really expensive, while the others seemed to be a lot more generic.

"We're in a bathtub," Jaden noted as he moved the white shower curtain. They were then able to see clearly the rest of the bathroom. "But why a bathtub?" Yami asked. Jaden shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe it's a sign that leads us to Yusei." They opened up the door and saw it led to a narrow hallway. They soon walked around and saw a few small bedrooms, with various levels of cleanliness. One room didn't have the bed made, but the rest of the room seemed all right, with just a few clothes on the floor. The next had the bed made, but clothes and stuff all over the place. The last looked like a tornado went through it.

As Yami and Jaden walked, they suddenly saw another room, with the wooden door shut. They then heard a loud fart and then someone moaning. "Ohhh. Yeeaahh. I needed that," the voice said.

"It's Yusei," Jaden commented and reached for the door handle. Yami pulled his wrist back. "Are you nuts? You can't go into the bathroom when someone's taking a dump. You wouldn't do that back home now would you?" Jaden looked a little puzzled and spoke in broken sentences. "Yeah...right...of course not...I don't...normally do...that kind of thing..."

The two of them waited outside the door and they heard Yusei talking to himself. "Isn't a bit strange that Yusei talks to himself when he's all by himself?" Jaden asked and Yami shrugged. "People act differently when no one else is around." After hearing Yusei talk about what he wanted to eat for dinner, they then heard the toilet flush, and Yusei washing his hands. The door then swung open and Yusei gasped.

"Ahh!" he cried and then noticed the two people in front of him. Yami was in his extremely tight leather pants and black undershirt. Jaden was in his usual red Duel Academy uniform. "Jaden! Yami! What are you two doing here?" They exchanged traditional handshakes. Yami smiled. "We're here to help you," Yami replied. Yusei was confused. "Help me. With what?" Jaden and Yami rolled their eyes. "With your promise?"

Yusei was even more confused. "What promise?" Jaden and Yami sighed before Yami answered. "Your promise to tell Akiza that you love her."

Suddenly, Yusei looked away and he appeared to become shy and nervous. It was just like the first time they had brought it up to him. "Oh yeah," Yusei said softly, "That promise." Yusei frowned and looked sadly at the ground. "Did you tell her yet?" Jaden asked excitedly. Yusei shook his head. "No. I didn't. I've..." He clenched his fist and shut his eyes. "Been too scared to tell her. I get all nervous, scared, and shy. I know I've had moments before to tell her, but I'm worried that she won't feel the same way." Jaden and Yami smiled.

"Just tell her bro. We both think that she'll definitely feel the same way." Yusei looked up. "You think so?" They both nodded. As Yusei thought about it and the prospects of Akiza returning and having mutual feelings, he watched as Jaden and Yami looked around the house. "Pretty sweet place you got here," Jaden remarked. Yusei rolled his eyes. "Well...there are a few bedrooms for us," he replied, "But not much else." Jaden and Yami both saw his Runner downstairs and went up to it.

"So this is your Runner?" Yami asked. Yusei nodded. "Yeah. It's got parts that are all in good shape." Jaden felt the seat with his hand. "Maybe I can ride with you sometime," he noted, "Just like last time." Yusei's face frowned. He remembered how awkward it was having a guy ride on the back of his Runner. Yusei had to lean all the way forward, just to insure that Jaden couldn't put his arms around him or have his groin rubbing his butt. It made Yusei know that, without a doubt, he was one hundred percent straight.

As he remember his assurance that he loved girls and not guys, Jaden looked out the window. "Oh sweet! I've got to check this city out!" Yusei gasped. "Wait! Stop!" Yusei managed to grab Jaden's jacket before he took a step outside. "You can't go out there!" Yusei said as he quickly stepped in front of him with his arms out to the sides. Jaden smiled. "Yes I can," he replied and Yusei shook his head.

"When people see you two here, they're going to wonder how you got here, why you are here, and not to mention all the attention you would draw!" Jaden ducked underneath Yusei's arm with ease. "Just watch me," he said. Before Yusei could tell him to stop, Jaden proudly walked down the street. Yusei watched as no one seemed to notice him. People kept walking and moving as though nothing was different, strange, or odd about it. Jaden went to the end of the block and back, with people not seeming to notice anything out of the ordinary. When he got back, Yami came up.

"Now my turn," he said and he too walked proudly, as no one moved or said anything in the slightest. When he got back, Yusei didn't understand, but he quickly saw Jack and Crow coming with bags of groceries. "Quick! Get in here!" Yusei said as he was quickly concerned. The general public may not recognize them, so maybe Jack and Crow would. If they found out that two of the greatest duelists ever were here, they would go bananas. Yusei quickly brought them back to the living room and then waited for them come in. The door soon opened and the two men walked inside.

As Jack and Crow set their grocery bags down by the door Yusei raced up to them. "Guys! You're never going to believe who's here!" Yusei turned around and showed Jaden and Yami, right on cue. Yusei turned back to his friends and they both looked puzzled. "Who's that?" Crow asked. Yusei's jaw dropped. "What are you talking about? It's Yami Yugi!" Jack scoffed.

"Yugi was the greatest duelist of all time! If this guys trying to be him, then you're the most gullible person in the world Yusei." Yusei was perplexed. "Oh come on!" Yusei said and then went over to Jaden. "You've got to remember Jaden Yuki!" Crow tiled his head. "Jaden who?" Yusei couldn't believe it. "W...what...how...c...can't..." Yami put a hand on his shoulder and whispered.

"It's all right Yusei. No one's suppose to remember who we are. Only you will, because you've met us before. It's all part of the time travel thing." Yusei had completely forgotten about the fact that they had come from another time. Yami then walked past him and went up to Jack and Crow. "Nice to meet you. I'm Yami." They all shook hands. "Boy are you a twig," Jack commented, "You're even thinner than Yusei." Yusei frowned, but Jaden chuckled. "Don't let that kind of stuff get you bro," he said to Yusei and then went up to shake Jack and Crow's hands. "Here. Do you want some help with that stuff?" Jaden offered. Crow smiled.

"Well sure. That'd be great." Jack set a bag down. "If you're doing it for me, then I'll just find something else to do." Crow frowned and yelled at Jack that he should help out more. Jaden and Yami helped put the groceries away and they all sat down on the living room furniture. "So how'd you guys meet up?" Jack asked. Yusei quickly couldn't think of an answer.

"Um...well...you see..." As if they had practiced it before, Yami spoke up. "We found him at a store, trying to find some new clothes to wear the other day." Yusei was a bit concerned, so he decided to jump in. "Y...yeah," he replied, "I wanted to know if there was anything good to wear and we just started talking. It was when I went to go look at a new pair of boots." Jack smiled. "Well, you do need a wardrobe update," Jack replied. Crow then added, "And I think this guy would be great to talk to. Extremely tight leather pants and all that would great on you."

Yusei tried to imagine himself in Yami's clothing. "Um...I don't think that's right for me." Jack frowned. "And how will you get Akiza if you don't show something more revealing about your special area?" Jack asked, before answering his own question, "Oh that's right. You can't because you've a package the size of peanut..." Yusei quickly stood up and interrupted him. "Okay. That's enough about both Akiza and my...junk." Jaden laughed.

"Are you kidding? We talk about all kinds of dirty topics like that at the Academy." Yusei looked at him as if he was nuts. "Wait. You go to Duel Academy?" Crow asked. Yusei bit his lip. The academy had gotten rid of the ranks like back in Jaden's time and was basically a normal school now. Jaden laughed. "Yeah. I go to one in...you know...Iowa."

"Anything new with corn?" Yami asked with a smirk. "Of course," Jaden replied, playing along, "It's corn! It's the most interesting subject there is!" As they all laughed, Yusei was more at ease. Still, it was a bit concerning for him and he did have some questions. "So where do you live here?" Jack asked. "Well...actually..." Jaden replied, "We don't have a place to go." Crow frowned. "You're kidding!" Yami shook his head.

"No. Some guys nearly beat us up, took our decks, and now we can't try and join the pro ranks." Jack and Crow frowned. "You're kidding," they both said. Jaden nodded. "Yeah. It was a week ago, so our wounds had healed up, but we needed our decks to join the pro ranks." Jack stood up. "What did they look like? Didn't you call Sector Security?" Jaden shook his head. "No. If we did, then they had connections to do bad things to us." Jack growled. "What did they look like?" Yami shrugged.

"They had masks on, so we couldn't see anything, but their eyes. They all wore black shirts and blue jeans." Crow stood up. "Just give it a rest Jack. We'd love to get them, but there's nothing we can do." Yusei stood up. "And besides, violence isn't the answer. It's never the answer." Yami and Jaden both looked at Yusei. All three smiled at one another, as they all believed in what Yusei had said.

"I know," Jack replied, "But I'd love to just beat them all up. What pro league were you trying for? Runner or Standing?" Yusei smiled. "Standing," he replied quickly, "So would it be okay if they stayed here?" Jack and Crow looked at one another, as the other three looked at each other. Crow and Jack smiled and looked at Yusei. "As long as you tell Zora, then we're okay."

"Why Zora?" Yusei asked. "And who's Zora?" Jaden added. Yusei smiled. "She's a good friend of my foster mother Martha. She's the one who lets us stay here." Jack and Crow chuckled. "And she's got a major love affair with Yusei," Jack replied, "However, she hates Crow and me. So whenever we need something, we ask Yusei to tell her, because she'll always say do something to please him."

"Why does she love Yusei?" Yami asked.

"She always says it's because of the Dark Signers and ZONE, but we all know why." Jack chuckled to himself before finishing, "It's because Martha spilled the beans and told her about Yusei's big crush on Akiza." Yusei's face turned red as a tomato as he faced Jack and Crow, who smirked. "They always gossip how shy the two of them are and how they'll make the best married couple ever with all of their kisses, hugs, affection, and all that lovey dovey stuff." Yusei stormed up to Jack, still burning red.

"Jack! You can't tell everybody about my feelings for Akiza. She might not feel the same way." Jack just folded his arms and looked away. "Oh come on Yusei. She loves you and you love here. Why don't you two just put a ring on it, get married, and live happily ever after?" Yusei quickly turned around, folded his arms, and closed his eyes. "Akiza and I would take our relationship slow, not speedy quick like you." Jack frowned.

"What was that?" Yusei smirked. "I would lose my virginity on my first date with Akiza, because I'm abstinent and have a little more control. Unlike some people..." Yusei smiled as Jack went ballistic and started shouting how he could lose his virginity to anyone whenever he wanted to. As Yami and Jaden watched, it was clear that it wasn't just them that thought Yusei and Akiza would make a perfect match. It was also clear that these three liked to tease one another and knew which buttons to push to get them on their soap box.

Suddenly the door opened and a red haired woman stepped inside, along with two shorter green haired people. "Yusei!" the twins said as Akiza looked down. "Hey Yusei!" she said confidently. Yusei's face instantly beamed and his eyes lite up like spotlights. "Akiza," he said happily and twins got to him first, as Akiza walked slowly behind. The twins hugged his legs and there were smiles for all four of them. They almost looked liked a family.

As Jaden and Yami looked at them, they smiled. Yusei seemed happy next to Akiza. Not to mention, the two twins seemed to be happy to see him and vise versa. They both stood up and introduced themselves. After they told them who they were, Akiza didn't recognize them either and neither did the twins. The twins even seemed a little frightened.

"How did you meet?" Akiza asked. Yusei gulped. "We...met when I went shopping the other day for clothes." Leo and Luna looked up at him. "You went shopping for clothes?" Leo asked. "What did you need?" Luna asked. Yusei bit his lip. "New...boots," he replied, "We got to talking and they told me all about them." He then told them about them losing their decks and way to the pro leagues.

"That's horrible," Akiza replied and the twins nodded. Yami and Jaden tried their best to act sad. "Yeah," Jaden replied, "But it's okay. The guys offered us a place here for a little while." As Jaden spoke, Akiza looked away. Yusei took notice, but didn't say anything. Jaden and Yami looked at him once Jaden stopped talking, They were rather upset that Yusei didn't come to Akiza's aid when she was clearly upset.

Yusei didn't get why having the guys stay would make her upset. Nothing big was changing, so what was the problem? Yusei never understood girls, so he didn't know. If Jaden and Yami were going to help them, then they should have some knowledge of this. Still, Yusei didn't know how long they were going to stay. He hoped it would be quick though, as he wanted to tell Akiza as soon as possible and send them on their way.

As the day went along, things seemed to go as usual. Jack and Crow got into fights, Leo and Luna laughed at them, and Akiza...well...Akiza stayed rather quiet. Yusei went up to her and sat down next to her. "Is something wrong Akiza?" Yusei asked. Yami and Jaden looked on a short distance away. "Everything's fine," she replied with a quick and clearly forced smile. Yusei smiled back. "All right, well if anything's wrong, just tell me." He got up and walked away, much to Akiza and the two men from the future's disappointment.

As Jaden and Yami watched they could see pretty obviously why Yusei could like her. Akiza had a lot of nice qualities. She was friendly, kind, and seemed to be able to talk to anyone in the group, even Leo and Luna. However, it wasn't just her personality that got their attention.

'Wow!' Jaden thought at he looked at her, 'Look at that chest! I thought Alexis was big, but Akiza's is huge! Her chest has to be at least twice the size of Alexis. Probably more!' Yami took notice as well. "It's like she has three heads," Yami whispered to Jaden, referring to the fact that each of Akiza's melons was as big or bigger than her head. After watching her some more, they couldn't wait to give Yusei crap about Akiza's appearance and what he thought about it.

Later, it was time for everyone to leave. Leo and Luna were happy to meet the two new friends, along with Akiza, who offered to walk the twins home. Once they left, all of the men sat around and watched TV as they ate dinner. Jaden and Yami sighed as Yusei told them about the food plans, which were more like typical college like meals. As they sat and ate their cheap food, Yami and Jaden wanted to find out more about Yusei's feeling for Akiza. They asked Jack and Crow about it, when Yusei went to the bathroom.

"He's never going to admit it," Jack replied, "Everyone knows and has bugged him about it for months. But whenever we do that, he storms off or works on his Runner." Jaden and Yami looked at one another. Both of these were huge details and they knew they could use them to their advantage. When Yusei got back, neither one said a word about it and what Jack told them.

Later, as they were getting ready for bed, Yusei had a question for Jaden and Yami. They had told him about people not recognizing them, time not being affected, etc. However, they never told Yusei how long they would be there. As Yami and Jaden put on some old clothes Zora had, Yusei went up to them. "So...how long do you guys have to stay before going back to your own time?" Yami and Jaden smiled.

"As long as we need," Yami replied and Yusei gasped.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed the first Chapter! **


	2. Boxer Believing

**Chapter 2!  
**

**Bentstua: The ZONE thing happened, because it's just easier and has some time past. I'm not sure about the Jaden thing. I tried to look it up, with no success. Either way, it's a reunion if you want to say he left. I'm not sure. Anyways, thanks for the review!**

**paradoxsteel: Thanks and I hope this Chapter is good too!**

**Nightshade Malachai: I'll continue it and don't worry about ideas. Just send it to me when you get the chance and I'll see if it'll fit in or not.**

**Here's the next Chapter and I hope you enjoy it!**

Yusei was stunned. Normally when he saw time travel in the movies, the people had to get out in a certain period of time. But they could stay as long as they needed? That just didn't make any sense to him. "We can only leave once we have completed our goal," Jaden explained. Yusei, still looking stunned, sighed. "And that is?"

"We can't tell you," Yami replied. Yusei watched as they went into his room. Yusei had offered to let one of them sleep in his bed, while the other slept in a sleeping bag on the floor. Yusei went back to his old cot downstairs. He sighed as he climbed into the bed. He turned onto one side and then the other. He finally laid on his back, looking up at the ceiling. He didn't know why he was feeling so upset, but he was.

How could he do this? How could he have not fulfilled the promise he made to them? He thought back to the pizza parlor after their duel.

_Flashback_

Yusei looked down as the other two men dove into a pizza in front of them. They had just beaten Paradox and saved time and the future. Yusei just stared at the pie as Jaden looked up. "Come on Yusei," he said, "Dig in!" Yusei sighed and took a slice and started eating. Yami looked at him firmly. "Yusei, why are you so down? You should be happy." Yusei nodded. "I am," he replied, "But we were just so close to losing right there. I don't know what I would have done if we had lost." Jaden laughed.

"Come on Yusei. We had that duel in the bag! We all dueled together as friends. You're taking dueling way too seriously." Yusei sighed. "I know," he replied, "But that's just the way I am." Yami smiled. "It's okay to be competitive," he replied, "But you shouldn't take dueling so seriously. After all, it's just a game." Yusei stayed silent for a few moments, trying to take in what the "King of Games" had just told him. Yusei did take the game too seriously and maybe he should reconsider how he approaches it.

"So, why don't we go around and tell everyone about ourselves?" Jaden suggested, "Yami, you're first."

Yusei watched as Jaden and Yami talked about themselves. Yusei had already seen and read about them online, so he didn't need to know much about what they did and who they were. In fact, Yusei found it hard not to tell them about their futures. Still, Yusei remained relatively quiet until it was his turn, just saying how something was interesting or cool.

"Okay Yusei. It's your turn," Jaden said as he finished his speech. Yusei started and basically told them about all the basic stuff. Growing up with Jack and Crow, the whole Signers situation, etc. As he told them, Jaden and Yami noticed that Yusei really talked a lot of this girl he called "Akiza." On top of that, Yami remembered when he told Yusei during their duel that everybody was behind him, he froze, and thought about his friends. When Yusei was done, Yami asked a question. "So Yusei, could you tell us more about your friends? The ones you thought of when we dueled?" Yusei looked down.

"Well...I thought of a lot of people, just like you said," he replied. Jaden smiled. "Yeah, but did you think about certain people in particular?" Yusei nodded. "Well yeah. Jack, Crow, Leo, Luna, and..." He paused only for a moment and looked away as he said her name. "Akiza." As Yusei looked away, both of the other guys saw a tiny strip of red on his face.

"Yusei...do you like Akiza?" Jaden asked. Yusei quickly looked up. "What? Me? No! Of course not." Yusei quickly tried to get serious. "She's a friend. That's all." Yusei's quickly serious voice and face didn't stop Jaden and Yami from laughing. "Yusei. You love her," Yami replied. Yusei's face got redder. "Okay. She's a really great girl, but I don't love her." Jaden and Yami could only talk in-between the chuckles.

"You love her!" Yami repeated and Jaden pointed at Yusei's face. "Your fact is so red." Yusei quickly looked down, not sure what to say. When Jaden and Yami stopped laughing, they both smiled at him. "So how long have you love her?" Yami asked. Yusei looked away, still blushing. "All right. I admit it. I love her. When it started...I don't know. All I know is that she's always been really special to me."

Jaden and Yami smiled. "So when are you going to tell her about your feelings for her?" Jaden asked. Yusei looked away. "I can't!" he replied firmly, "She's much too good for me." Yami raised an eyebrow. "Really? How?" Yusei told her about how Akiza had this big fancy house, her Dad was a senator, and she was strong woman that could stick up for herself. Yusei was a lanky average looking guy at best, with not much money, and couldn't get a girl to save his life. Yami and Jaden hated to hear how little self confidence Yusei had. It was the complete opposite as when he was standing during a duel.

"Maybe you need something to force yourself to tell Akiza how you feel," Jaden suggested, "After all, it sounds as though you've done a lot for her." Yusei shook and nodded his head. "And what exactly could we do?" he asked. Jaden stuck his hand out. "Make a promise to us." Yami nodded and put his hand over Jaden's. "Promise us that you'll tell Akiza how you feel." Yusei wasn't sure, so the two of them encouraged him some more.

Yami and Jaden smiled as they turned towards Yusei, "Come on Yusei," Jaden encouraged him, "Put your hand in a make a promise with us." Yami nodded, "Yeah. Promise us that you'll tell Akiza that you love her." Yusei was about to, but pulled back. He then firmed up and put his hand on top. "All right," he said, "I'll promise to tell Akiza that I love her."

_End Flashback_

As Yusei remembered, he sighed and yawned. How could he have not kept a promise? Not even to two of the greatest duelists ever? Yusei knew it was his secret shyness and he hoped that Jaden and Yami could help him. He turned on his side and tried to sleep on the idea.

The next morning, Yusei awoke to the sound of clanking dishes and silverware. Yusei sat up and saw Yami and Jaden eating cereal at the small breakfast table. "Man! These boxes are so small," Jaden noted looking at the box, "And what's with all these healthy cereals? Can't a guy get some sugary ones for a change?" Yusei looked up. "You guys. What time is it?" Yami pointed to a nearby clock.

"Already?" Yusei asked. Since he didn't need to work on his Runner so much anymore, now that the WRGP was over, Yusei didn't have to get up early anymore. Even though he didn't say it, he actually loved sleeping in later, as he had more energy. However, he didn't like getting up too late. "Aww man. I've got to get ready." Yusei quickly went to the bathroom and shaved quickly, before going back downstairs.

"How did you guys not wake me up?" Yusei asked as the three of them sat at the table. "You were out like a rock," Jaden replied, "A tornado could have came through and you would have stayed asleep." Yusei grumbled, but Yami smiled. "Anyways Yusei, Jaden and I were trying to figure out a way to help you get Akiza." Yusei looked over at him. "Since when are you guys dating experts all of a sudden?" Jaden laughed.

"Well...it's pretty easy to help someone who's in love as much as you are Yusei." Yusei rolled his eyes. "Any plans?" he asked to Yami. "Well...we were trying to think of a way for you to be more self confident." Yusei looked over at him. "Self confident? What are you talking about?" Jaden spoke up and put his arm around Yusei. "Dude. You're extremely shy. We've got to find a way to make you have more confidence in yourself. After all, you're never going to tell Akiza, if you're not confident in yourself." Yusei pushed Jaden off.

"And how will we do that?" Suddenly Jack came down the stairs in nothing, but his boxers. "Jack!" Yusei shouted, "Put some clothes on." Jack leaned over to get some coffee from out of one of the lower cupboards. Everyone saw Jack's butt crack from a mile away. "And pull your boxers up! No one wants to see your butt crack showing!" Yusei shouted in anger. Jack turned around.

"Lots of women would get on their hands and knees to see my butt crack, so you should be happy you get to see it," Jack replied. Jaden and Yami looked at one another. "Wait a minute! That's it!" Jaden said. Everyone, including Jack, looked at him. "We'll get Yusei's self confidence up if he talks to Akiza in only his boxers!" Yusei looked at him.

"What? Are you crazy?" Yusei questioned. Yami jumped on the idea. "Yeah. If he can feel comfortable being with Akiza in nearly nothing, then he should feel confident with Akiza in any situation." Yusei shook his head. "Uh uh. No way." Jack smiled. "Yeah! Come on Yusei! Live a little. Besides, girls like it when men show off their bodies." Jack looked up and down at him. "Of course you leave much to be desired." Yusei growled and was going to fire at Jack, saying he could look however he wanted. Despite Yusei's desires, Crow came downstairs just in time.

"Hey! What's all the commotion about?" he asked. Jaden smiled. "We're going to have Yusei talk to Akiza in his boxers, to help him with his self confidence." Crow smiled. "Can we be in our boxers too?" Yusei shook his head. "No," he said quickly.

"Of course!" Yam replied, "We don't have to go anywhere and it'll make Yusei feel less awkward." Crow cheered. "All right!" he said and quickly took off his clothes, except for the most important one. "Boxers day!" he shouted as he ran upstairs. Yusei looked drowsily at everyone, as they too got ready. One of their clothes got caught in Yusei's hair. 'I wish I was back in bed,' Yusei thought, as he knew he had a long and awkward day ahead of him.

Even though Yusei didn't want to, he was eventually forced to get rid of his clothes or they would be removed for him. Yusei complied and stood in his boxers. He instantly saw everyone looking at him and covered himself up.

"Yusei, if you don't feel comfortable standing like that in front of us, how will you be able to do it in front of Akiza?" Jack asked. Yusei sighed. "Well...I wasn't planning on showing her what I looked like for quite a while." Crow rolled his eyes. "Yusei, you've known her for how long and you're not going to show her what you look like underneath your clothes? Even now?" Crow shook his head and Yami smiled.

"Well Yusei, I think this will be a really good experience for you. Plus, if you ever need to change clothes in front of her, now you'll be able to." Yusei had never thought of it like that. If he would ever have to change clothes, Yusei would have rushed over to the bathroom, fearing Akiza might not like what she sees. However, if he could talk to Akiza today, then she would feel comfortable, and so would he.

As Yusei looked around, he noticed that Jaden and Yami weren't exactly the most attractive looking people on the planet, along with himself. From the neck up, he could see why girls might like them, but below the neck, neither were all that great. Like him, they weren't bulked up and buff. Just having what they were giving naturally and were not trying to be like guys in magazines. To be honest, it was nice having guys around that didn't care about their physical appearance.

As Yusei looked around, he wondered what they were going to do. They couldn't go outside and walk around town like this. Yusei finally asked what they would do. "Nothing," Jack replied, "We can just sit around and talk. Maybe even see if we can talk about dueling." Yusei froze. Yami and Jaden might not remember how Synchros worked or how to summon them. He quickly stood up.

"Umm... Can I see Jaden and Yami privately?" Yami and Jaden got up and Yusei quickly went and found his deck. He quickly explained to them how he could Synchro Summon, but they still had a lot of questions. "Yusei, are you three done?" Jack shouted from far away. Yusei gasped. "There's no time to explain!" he said in a panic, "Just...try to make them stall or change the subject!"

Yusei quickly pushed them on the back, feeling weird to be pushing two nearly naked men out of the room. When they got back, Yusei tried to act as calm as he could. However, Jaden and Yami seemed to be as cool as a cucumber.

"So, what type of decks did you play?" Jack asked. Yusei coughed, hoping to speak for them. "Well...you see..." he started, before Jaden started talking.

"I actually am looking for a new type of deck to play," he replied, "I'm trying to use this bad event as a good thing." Yusei was surprised and Yami said he felt the same way. "It's always good to try new things," Yami said as he looked at Yusei. Yusei didn't know if he was foreshadowing something or trying to just follow Jaden's lead. Either way, Yusei smiled and was happy that Jaden and Yami found a good answer to Jack's question.

"So what deck do you guys want to try out?" Crow asked. Again, the two of them had an answer. "I wanna wait until we get to look at the card shop," Yami replied, "That way, I can see all my options." Jaden nodded and agreed. With the way those two were handling all of their questions, Yami and Jaden were pros. It was like they were award winning actors.

As everyone was getting comfortable, the door knocked and Crow got it for them. The three people that were waiting had big eyes as Crow stood in the doorway, "Crow, why don't you have any clothes on?" Leo asked. Crow smiled. "Well...you see..."

Yusei quickly hustled up the stairs and spoke up for Crow. "We just decided to have a lazy day at home. That's all." Akiza and the twins stared at them. "Yusei...is there something you're not telling us?" Yusei shook his head. "No of course not. See?" He let them inside. "Everybody's doing it!" The other men waved as Leo laughed with joy. "This is so silly!" he said, "Can I go into my underwear?" Akiza shook her head. "No Leo. We're not having you get into this goofiness too." Yusei went up to her. "Come Akiza. We're just having fun." Akiza turned and got a good look at Yusei from head to toe.

She had never seen Yusei in so little clothing before. His legs were hairy, that was for sure, and there was some hair running up the middle of his chest, but nothing a quick shave couldn't fix. He wasn't forest, wilderness man hairy and he certainly didn't have that tough, bulked up body like one either. However, Akiza was actually finding him quite attractive, even with his tan, lanky build. "Don't worry Akiza," Yusei said as he walked over, "We're just showing the twins to have a healthy body image and to not be like all the people in the magazines." Leo raced over to them. "Yeah Akiza. I wanna show a good body image too." Akiza kept staring at Yusei and bit her lip.

"Well...it would be nice to show them that you don't need a perfect body to get someone..." Yusei smiled and Leo took it as a "yes." He then cheered. "Yay!" Leo shouted and quickly took off his clothes. Crow then spoke up. "Come on Akiza. You wanna take your clothes off too?" Akiza frowned at the orange haired man. "Um...I'd rather not, because you would be making sly comments all day," she replied firmly. Yusei wasn't going to say it, but he was a bit disappointed. Still, he manged to get Akiza off of the clothes topic, and offered her some water. Akiza gratefully accepted it and the two sat down in chairs next to each other.

As Yusei looked at her, he suddenly felt very self conscious. 'She's looking at you. Cover up some more.' Yusei quickly put his arms over his body like he was trying to hide something. Akiza watched as it was clear he wasn't very comfortable. "Yusei, if you're uncomfortable, put some clothes on," she suggested. Yusei looked over at the other males in the group, who shook their heads.

"Um...I'm good." Akiza frowned and looked at Yusei from head to toe once more. While he was no bodybuilder, she still found him pretty attractive. "Yusei," Akiza said as she put a hand on his bare shoulder, "You look great just the way you are. I'm not offended by what I see. So, please don't worry." Yusei put his arms down and tried to relax.

"Well...thank you...um..." Akiza could see that he was still nervous, so she reached over and held his left hand with her right. Yusei looked down at their hands and then back up at her, as she smiled at him. Yusei managed to take a breath and tried to start a conversation. "So...anyways, how's your Dad been doing?" Akiza smiled and responded to the question.

Next to Akiza, Luna sat still fully clothed. She watched, without them noticing her presence. She noticed that Yusei was smiling as Akiza started talking to him. It was something that she knew Yusei didn't do too often. Of course, this wasn't the first time that this had happened. Yusei seemed to smile at Akiza a lot, even more than anyone else. Still, Luna, like all of the other people in the room, wanted Yusei and Akiza to get together. Luna decided that it was best to stay out and try to let them talk to each other.

As the desired couple talked back and forth, the on lookers saw Akiza checking Yusei out every now and again. Crow and Jack didn't understand how someone like Akiza found Yusei to be appealing appearance wise, but Jaden and Yami knew that there were girls out there who preferred normal average looking guys. As Akiza looked back up at Yusei, he smiled once he saw Akiza smiling back.

Yusei couldn't believe it, but he was feeling more and more comfortable and he didn't feel the need to cover himself up anymore. Just seeing Akiza smile and being able to talk to her was more than enough. For Akiza, it was the same way. She started just looking up at his smiling face and enjoyed seeing it. She tilted her head and listened to Yusei talk about how he agreed with Mr. Izinski's political views.

"Anyways, I'm really happy that your parents are back in town," Yusei continued, "I know just how happy you are to be with them." Akiza nodded. "Well it's all thanks to you Yusei." Yusei blushed slightly and the two of them smiled at one another. Seeing the silent moment, Crow got up, and put a hand on Yusei's shoulder. "So Yusei, got any plans for Friday?" Yusei looked at him stunned and suddenly realized what he was referring to. Akiza looked on curiously.

Yusei felt his stomach turn and his body wanting to turn up in a ball. He held his breath, not sure what to do. It would be amazing to go out with Akiza, just the two of them. However, he knew that it would be so nerve racking. Akiza could go out with any guy she wanted and he felt so much farther down the scale. He felt so awkward and didn't feel comfortable going out with her. Even though he knew he saw her more than a friend, he didn't want her to reject him, and break his heart.

"Um...yeah," he replied, "I've got stuff to do. Like..." He looked around. "Work on my Runner." He got up and went over to it. He then got his toolbox and started working on it nervously. Yusei knew he wanted to say that he wasn't doing anything and he wanted to go out with her. However, Yusei quickly realized he had gotten into one of his nervous habits, whenever someone talked about him liking Akiza. He sometimes got nervous and angry. However, he also spent time on his Runner, because then people would leave him alone. After all, that's all he wanted whenever someone talking about him liking, even loving Akiza.

Everyone frowned. They all knew, except for the girl of his dreams, that Yusei really wanted to go out with her. However, they could see a faint blush on his cheeks, along with the fact that he was fumbling with his tools. Yusei knew it and so did they. Yusei wanted to go out with her, but was much too shy. The most important reaction was Akiza's, who watched him work on it, in his boxers, before frowning.

"Um...well...if you're going to do that, then maybe I should leave," Akiza noted. Yusei gasped. "N...No Akiza!" he said as he looked over his shoulder, "Please stay." Akiza got up. "No. I don't want to get in the way. Come on Leo and Luna. Leo, be sure to put your clothes on." Leo had seen this situation before and put his clothes on faster than Akiza could get to the door. They all looked back at the guys left.

"Anyways, thanks for having us over," Akiza said with a bit of sadness in her voice. Leo nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for letting me walk around in m boxers for a while." Yusei quickly stood up. "Akiza. Please! I'm so sorry." Akiza sighed. "No, Yusei. If you're too busy, then I don't want to be a burden." She then walked out with the twins, who frowned as they left.

Once the door was shut, Yusei growled. He tossed his tool into his toolbox and closed his eyes. How could he have been so stupid? He blew his chance and now he was never going to hear the end of it. Yusei normally kept his anger inside, but he was so mad at himself that he kicked his Runner, not moving it an inch. Still, Yusei had to let off some steam and that was the only way he saw how at the moment. He then went over to the chair Akiza had sat in a buried his face in his hands.

"How could I be so stupid?" he asked himself. Yusei tried to hide it, but tears were forming in his eyes. He had blow a golden opportunity to ask her out on a date. All of the other guys came over to him.

"You blew it," Jack said firmly. Yusei looked up, barely able to hold back the tears. "I know that," Yusei said, "I went and got all shy and nervous again." He stood up. "God, why can't I just tell her how I feel? I should just go up to her and tell her everything." Crow shook his head. "You can't do that," he replied, "It would be so much on her all at once. You've got to do it a little bit at a time."

"Besides," Jaden added, "Lets look at the positives from today. You were able to talk to her with just your boxers on and she clearly found you attractive." Yusei's angry face turned stunned. "She...found me attractive?" Jack nodded. "Yeah, but I don't see how. You're practically a twig." Yusei didn't even hear Jack's sly, but truthful comment. Yusei looked up, as if he saw an angel, and walked past them. "She...thinks I'm attractive." A smile grew on his face.

"She thinks I'm attractive," Yusei repeated. He started to laugh a little bit. He couldn't believe it! The girl he had a crush on found him cute. Jack and Crow always told him that, if he didn't bulk up, then Akiza would find someone who was. However, today proved them wrong! Yusei was so happy. If he asked her what she thought of him, she would say that he looked good. Yusei put his long, lean arm up the air and jumped up (even if it wasn't very high).

"She thinks I'm attractive!" he shouted. He then turned around to face the group. "Oh my goodness! This is so great! I can't believe she thinks I'm cute." Jack rolled his eyes. "Well...we never said anything about cute, but..." Yusei went up and hugged him. "Thanks you guys. If it wasn't for you, then I would never know." Jack and Crow felt awkward having Yusei hug them, but Jaden and Yami were much more accepting. "I have to go shower off my good looking body, so that if Akiza comes back, I'll look good for her!" He then ran upstairs to get a new pair of boxers. Everyone else just stared.

"Why did Yusei hug us?" Crow asked. Jaden shrugged. "Who cares. At least Yusei sees the positives that came from today." Yami nodded. "Yeah, but..." He looked over at his Runner, along with the rest of them. "If Yusei's ever going to get rid of his shyness, and using his Runner as an outlet to getting out of going out with her, then it must go." Everyone nodded and Crow smiled.

"And I know how we can make sure it goes away for good." Everyone else looked at him, wanting to know the plan.

Later that night, Yami offered Yusei his bed, instead of the cot downstairs. Yusei wondered why, but Yami said it was a thank you for taking them in. Yusei soon went to bed, just like normal. A few hours later, he laid asleep in his bed.

Soon, the door opened slightly, and the rest of the guys looked in on him. They were all confused by how Yusei was sleeping. Yusei was laying on his side and, somehow, his pillow was next to him, being hugged in Yusei's arms. They all looked at one another, and then back at Yusei, who sighed happily. They all kept an eye on him as he rolled onto his back, with the pillow on top. They watched as the pillow moved on top of him and Yusei sighed contently. They all wondered what Yusei was dreaming about.

_Yusei's dream_

Yusei had Akiza laying next to him, with his wrapped around her (thus the pillow laying next to him). "I love you Akiza," Yusei said. "I love you too Yusei," Akiza replied. Yusei then rolled onto his back, with Akiza pushing herself on top of him. The two then started kissing, with Akiza laying on top of him.

_End dream_

Back in real life, the crew was confused by Yusei, as he sighed happily. The pillow kept staying on top, even as he moved it over his body wildly. "We don't have time for this," Crow whispered, "Come one." They all then tiptoed out of the bedroom and quietly shut the door.

They all moved quickly downstairs. Yami and Jaden opened the door carefully and as quietly as possible. They checked to make sure the coast was clear, before motioning for Jack and Crow. They then pushed the Runner up the ramp and out of the building. They then shut the door and quickly went on their way. After making a few turns, and down a few streets, they saw their target.

"Bingo," Crow said, and they all eyed the building.

Later, they were all smiles, as they shut a door, and put a lock on it. "Now, what do we do with the key?" Yami asked. Crow smiled. "I know who can keep it nice and safe. But...we'll need to drive over there." Yami and Jaden were confused. However, Crow explained it to them. "But we'll have to ride along," Jaden noted, and the two Signers froze, and their faces were suddenly less excited about the idea.

"Weeee!" Jaden shouted, "This is awesome!" Jack growled as Jaden wrapped his arms around his waist. 'Why did I have to get him?' Jack wondered as they quickly rode through the streets of New Domino City. They again made turns and rode down streets, until they finally made their destination. "This is it," Crow proclaimed and they all looked up. "You know Crow," Jack said once he got to a full stop, "I've got to admit, this is a smart idea."

**A/N: I wasn't sure whither to leave the last part for the next Chapter or put it in this one. So, I split the difference!**

**I hope you enjoyed this Chapter and thanks for all the feedback! :)**


	3. Parental Trust

**Chapter 3!  
**

**Bentstua: I actually might be able to use your bikini idea, even though it was just a joke. Thanks for the positive feedback!**

**darkboy1: I'll definitely have them try to "man him up" in a few Chapters, once Yusei manages to ask her out on a date. Thanks for the tip! **

**Eunice Pacheco: Glad you were able to find some humor in it. I've tried to put it in this one, so hopefully it's a little bit funnier.**

**Thanks for all the great feedback and I hope you enjoy this Chapter as well!**

As Yusei woke up, he was stunned by what he saw. His pillow had ended up in his arms and on top of him. When he looked down, he saw a wet spot on his pajama pants. He touched it and then smelt his hands. "Ahh!" he muttered and put the pillow and wet spot together. "Dang it!" Yusei said to himself, "I was going to do that later." He sighed and got up, making sure he changed pants and put the old ones in the wash. After he shaved and ready, he went downstairs and saw Crow, Jack, Yami, and Jaden already up. He then saw something that made him jump.

"W...Where's my Runner?" he asked. All of the other men smiled as he raced downstairs. They all chuckled as well. "Just go to the video screen," Jack said and Yusei went over to it. "What do I do?" he asked. "It's already loaded, just turn it on," Crow added. When Yusei woke it up, Martha appeared on screen. "Martha? What are you doing?" he asked. Martha laughed.

"Well...Jack and Crow told me how nervous and shy you are when you're around Akiza and how you've used your Runner as a excuse for not going out with her. So, they put your Runner in a storage facility, with a lock on it." Yusei gasped. "What?" He turned around. "How could you?" All of the other men smiled. "Martha! How will I get around?" Martha smiled. "I'm sure Zora will offer her old car if you need to get around. Besides, you'll need it. You see. I have the key to the storage facility." Yusei gasped as Martha showed him the key.

"Where did you get that?" he asked, "And how? When?" Martha laughed.

"The guys took your Runner last night and then went over to my house to give me the key. I'll put the key in a safe spot." Yusei and the guys watched it disappear into her chest. "Martha!" Yusei said. She just laughed. "Keeping it in there will be sure to keep you from getting it," she replied, "Not to mention, that Yami and Jaden person you've met are so nice and they're story is so sad." Yusei nodded, but wanted to go back to the older topic. "When can I have my Runner back?" Yusei asked. Martha smiled. "When I feel you and Akiza are officially together," she replied, "Won't it be nice to take that time you spent working on your Runner instead with Akiza?"

At first, Yusei was shocked and upset. However, maybe the guys were right. If his Runner wasn't there anymore, then maybe he could use that time with Akiza. And that _would_ be nice. Yusei smiled and then looked up at her. "You know what, you're right Martha. I would like to spend more time with Akiza and less time on my Runner." He turned around. "Thanks you guys." He turned back to the screen and Martha was grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh Yusei! I can;t wait to see you two get together! It'll be so cute having your future wife come over and be all loving and affectionate." Yusei gasped. "Martha, I haven't even told her my feelings for her yet." Martha didn't listen and was squirming as she was so happy Yusei was finally going to tell Akiza that he loved her. The best part was that he had known for a very long time and she was the first to recognize these feelings.

After Martha was all gushy, making Yusei blush and the other guys laugh, she hanged up. Yusei then turned to the guys, wanting to know what was next. "So what do we do now?" he asked. "Simple," Jaden replied, "If we're going to decide your future, lets learn about your past." He pointed to a small area, with some stuff sitting around, including Yusei's duel disk. "What's all that stuff?" Yami asked and they went over to it.

"That's my dueling stuff," Yusei replied. Yami picked up the disk. "Wow! You must have had tons of duels using this, just like Jaden and I did. Not to mention when we dueled together." Jack and Crow looked confused. "When you what?" Crow asked. Yusei quickly turned around. "Uh...we were going to duel and, before we got started, we...uh...had to eat dinner," he replied, "Anyways...Yami continue." Yami picked up something small and round.

"What's this for?" he asked. Yusei tried to grin. "That's...uh...my bicep band. It's from our days as the Enforcers." Jaden looked at it and then remembered how Yusei worked with his friends to make the Satellite safer. Jaden looked at the band and then at Yusei's arm. "Why did you need this Yusei?" he asked. Yusei felt embarrassed to answer. "Because...we thought it made us...um..." Jaden was quick to talk before Yusei finished. "You didn't beat anyone up did you? You told us you did duel a lot, but you never told us about hurting people." Yusei's face firmed up.

"Yes. That was the goal. We said the number one rule was no violence. However, we wanted to get people to surrender with our disks and...well..." Yami could sense that something was off. "Yusei, what is it you're not telling us?" Yusei sighed. "Because...Jack and Crow wanted to make my arms look bigger. They thought that if I looked like I had bigger arms, then we wouldn't have to duel as often." Yami and Jaden were stunned. "Make your arms look bigger?" Yami asked. Yusei nodded. "Y...eah. See, I've never been a body builder, so Jack and Crow forced me to put arm band on, because they thought it might make it look I have bigger biceps. It didn't work out obviously." Jaden and Yami looked at one another and then started laughing.

"Of course not Yusei," Jaden replied, "Why would you think that? That's so stupid." Yami and him laughed some more. Soon, Jack and Crow did too. Yusei turned to them. "What's so funny? You were the guys who forced me to wear them!" Crow and Jack continued laughing. "Plus you wore them too!" Yusei noted. Finally, they stopped laughing. "Of course we did," Crow replied, "Because it made you look tougher." Yusei gasped.

"Did you really think we were that stupid?" Jack replied, "You would never wear them anyways. No matter if it was bigger biceps or looking tougher, you'd never go along with it. We wanted the Enforcers to look threatening and with you using violence as a last resort, it meant we had to do something drastic. So, we forced you to wear a bicep band to make you look tough. We just lied and said it was to make your biceps bigger, because we've barked about that for years. You may not have liked it, but it would go over better than if we said it made you look tough. Did you really think that we were stupid enough to believe that it would make your lanky biceps even a little bigger?"

Yusei growled. They wore them, because they wanted to look tough and threatening? Yusei's goal was always peace and nonviolence. Yusei didn't like the whole "bigger bicep" deal, but being tougher was even worse. Yusei wanted to shout at Jack and Crow so the whole city could hear him, but Jaden and Yami found other stuff to talk about. "Hey! What's this?" Yami asked as he held up a coloring book. "That's mine!" Crow shouted and took it from him. Yusei went over and looked at it.

"Oh yeah. This is your favorite coloring book. It had pictures of kids doing all sorts of stuff." Yusei pointed to a picture of kids playing at the park. "I remember you always colored a picture for Martha's Birthday or when she assigned us art projects for school." Crow nodded and turned to another one. "I remember this one," Crow noted, "It was one I spent a few days on. I really liked the forest in the background and the kids playing in the snow." He pointed to a spot where a color went outside the lines. "I got so upset I colored outside the lines that I cried," he recalled. They were all smiles, until Jaden found something else in the pile of stuff.

"What's this?" he asked as he held up a stuffed teddy bear."Mr. Huggles," Jack cried and quickly snacked it out of his hands. Everyone looked at him. "What are you staring at?" Jack asked, "At least I keep things that are important! Unlike a stupid coloring book I did when I was a kid and will never look at again." Crow frowned and looked at Yusei. "Or an old bicep band that I was forced to wear, even though I didn't want to. Then, heaven forbid, I was forced to wear it, because it could actually make it look like I had some muscles on my arms." Yusei's face turned similar to Crow's while Jack held the bear close to his chest.

"Oh and when do you look at Mr. Huggles?" Crow asked. Jack froze. "I...uh...that's private information." Crow pointed at him. "Private information my butt! You never look at it!" Jack shook his head. "Nuh uh," he replied, "I still cuddle with it." Crow laughed. "Jack loves a bear! Jack loves a bear!" Yami, Jaden, and Yusei all talked to one another, as Crow and Jack fought.

"So, now that we've looked through all this boring stuff ..." Yusei started, but Yami interrupted. "What do you mean boring stuff? Crow and Jack found some good stuff." Yusei rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but the rest of this is stuff we don't need," Yusei said as he picked up an old jacket one of them wore as the Enforcers. "Then why is this stuff here?" Jaden asked, "And if you hated the bicep band so much, why did you keep it?" Yusei sighed.

"Because I was lazy. All right? And I didn't want to tell Jack and Crow this, but all this Enforcer stuff just brings back bad memories for me. I don't know about them, and I didn't want to upset them by getting rid of it, but Kalin's out of lives for good now. Plus, we saved the city, as the Signers, and that made a billion times more of a difference. It make the Satellite into a suburb of the city. They now have better roads, a bridge, and all that stuff. That was real change and the Enforcer stuff didn't do a fraction of that. There was still crime and other stuff that went on, even when we dominated the Satellite. We just didn't see it." Yusei turned to Jack and Crow.

"Jack, Crow, is there anything here else you need?" Jack and Crow stopped barking at one another and looked through the pile in about ten seconds. "No," Crow replied, "The rest of this is junk and I don't need it." Jack nodded. "I need new stuff. Not this ratty old garbage." Yusei sighed and got on the phone. He called, and a donation truck would stop by, and pick it up in a few days.

"All right, now that that's over, what are we going to do to help me get Akiza?" Yusei asked. Yami and Jaden thought and then Jack went up to him. "Well...I think Yusei needs to man up and get to know Akiza a whole lot better," he said as he grabbed his collar. "How do want me to do that?" Yusei asked. Jack smiled. "By talking to her parents." Yusei shook his head. and Yami and Jaden agreed.

"Whoa," Jaden replied, "Shouldn't we slow down a little and have him get to know Akiza better first?" Yami nodded. "Yeah. I mean, he still has trouble talking to her, then why her parents?" Jack smiled. "If we get Yusei to man up and talk to her parents first, then maybe he can gain their trust and let her do things with him, without their consent." He let go of Yusei's collar and then headed for the door. "Come on. Lets go to Akiza's house."

As they walked outside, Yami and Jaden hadn't really gotten a tour of New Domino City before. "As we walk, I'll point out some stuff along the way," Yusei noted and they started walking. As they walked around, Yusei still had to notice that no one seemed to recognize either of the two legendary duelists. Yusei didn't want to be a show off, as he knew both of them were going back to times where things were not nearly as technological as in present times. Yusei pointed out a couple of things, including the Kaiba Dome.

"So Kaiba got a big enough ego to build this?" Yami asked. "Actually," Yusei replied, "He paid the most money for the naming rights." Jaden tilted his head. "Why didn't they name it after someone better than him?" Jaden asked, "Like you Yusei?" Jack smirked. "Please. They'll name something the Jack Atlas Dome before they ever consider putting Yusei's name on something." Yusei rolled his eyes and they kept walking.

When they got closer to Akiza's house, and Yusei pointed to which one it was, Yami and Jaden gasped at how big it was. Large security doors guarded the property and were closed tight. They went up to the security door and Yusei spoke into the microphone. "Hello. It's Yusei," he said, "I have some friends that just wanted to stop by and say hello." Yusei let go of the button and an automated voice spoke.

"Mr. and Ms. Izinski are out of the home right now. Please try again later." Yusei sighed. "Great and Akiza's at school with the twins." They then heard Yusei's tummy rumble. "And now I'm hungry," Yusei added. He sighed as they all turned around. 'Great. Now what do we do?' he thought to himself.

When they got back, Yusei, Yami, and Jaden all went to get some food to eat. "I'm going to take a nap," Jack announced. "Me too," Crow added and they both headed for the bedrooms. As they got their food, Yusei looked around. "So now what?" he asked. "We'll wait for Akiza to call or come over," Yami replied, "Maybe then we can head over and meet her parents."

"Good idea," Jaden remarked and then went over to a small TV. "So what's on TV anyways?" As he looked through, all he found were things that wouldn't interest any of them. Finally, he stopped on a show, that seemed a little bit odd. "Hey boys and girls! Today, we're going to learn about monkeys and what they like to do." Yami and Yusei came up, with a sandwich on each of their plates.

"Hey Jaden, what's this?" Yami asked. "I dunno. Some kids show where they're learning about monkeys." Yusei shrugged. "If that's the best thing to kill time until Akiza gets here, then what they heck? Lets give it a shot." They all sat down and watched as they ate their lunches.

Later, Jack grumbled as he heard something coming from downstairs. Crow moved in his bed and woke as well. When Crow came out of his room, he spotted Jack. "What's all the racket?" Crow asked. Jack yawned. "I don't know, but it's coming from downstairs." They both went to the stairs and spotted Yami, Jaden, and Yusei huddled down next to the small TV. They went up to them and heard them all start to sing as a song began on screen.

_Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyy banana! Whaaaaaach ya gonna do? And the monkey says..._

_Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyy banana! Whaaaaaach ya gonna do? Boom. Boom. Boom._

Jack and Crow's mouths dropped as all three, clearly older than the programming was intended for, started waving their arms in the air, and sang along to the song. They watched as man in a monkey and banana costume danced in front of a purple back drop. As they continued to sing, Jack closed his eyes and growled like an angry dog. "That's enough!" he shouted and went up in front of the TV.

"You guys are too old to be watching a kids' show! You know all the answers to everything!" Jaden shook his head. "Na uh," he replied, "We were going to learn what two minus three is." Jack leaned in close to him. "If you want to know that, just get a dang calculator. And oh by the way, it's negative one!" Jaden shook his head.

"No. It's negative fun!" he replied and the other three laughed. Jack still looked upset, as Crow tried to hide his laughter. "Don't laugh at me!" Jack shouted, "Kings don't get laughed at." Yami uncovered his mouth. "What if he was a funny king?" Jack smiled. "I'm no 'funny king!' I'm a ruling king!" Yusei managed to finally talk.

"Yeah. You rule over the population of zero!"

Everyone roared with laughter, including Crow. Jack frowned and the stormed off. "We don't need to listen to these child like people. We need to nap! Right Crow?" Jack turned around and saw Crow leaning into the TV screen. "Oh I know this show! It's called Animalfu!" Jack quickly became stunned. "What?" he shouted and the rest of them turned to him.

"Animalfu!" Crow repeated, "I use to watch this all the time with my orphans, before they broke the TV by accident. I can't believe it's still on! There's a really great episode with apples and it has a really catchy song." Crow then started singing the song.

_Aaaaaaaaapples! They taste really great for you and me!_

_Aaaaaaaaapples! They really nice and neat. But if they're green, then they're not so sweet!_

Jack just growled and put his hands up in the air. "That's it! I'm going back to bed!" he proclaimed, as the rest of the guys never heard him. Crow sat down and they enjoyed the rest of the episode, including some more singing.

Later, Jack got up, and it was almost time for the twins and Akiza to come over from school. Everyone waited as they wondered what Yusei's plan was going to be. "So, when we get to Akiza's house, if her parents are there now, what will I do? What should I say?" Yusei asked. Everyone thought. "If you gain her parents trust, then you could do more things with her by yourselves. Like, you could invite her over some night," Yami replied.

Yusei thought for a moment. "That would be nice..." Yusei noted.

Before he could finish his thought, the door swung open with the twins and Akiza coming quickly inside. "Yusei!" the twins said and Yusei watched the two come up to him. Yusei then smiled at them and then looked up at Akiza, in her Duel Academy uniform. "So how was school today?" he asked. "Good, " Leo said excitedly, "I get to do my project on someone who changed my life." Luna nodded. "You mean _we_ get to do _projects_ on people who have changed our lives or who we look up to." Yusei bended down.

"So who are you going to choose? Is it someone with dashing good looks?" Yusei went and eyed Akiza, but had her head turned. Still, the idea of Akiza finding him attractive still made Yusei giddy. Luna and Leo looked confused and broke Yusei out of his fantasy. "Dashing good looks?" Leo asked. "You're average at best," Luna replied. Yusei was mad for a second, but knew they were right.

"All right. Maybe I'm not dashing, but I sure hope someone out there does." Yusei chuckled and then turned his attention to Akiza. "Akiza," he said as he walked over to her, "Do you think we could come over and visit your parents?" Akiza was surprised. "What? Right now?" Yusei nodded. "It's been so long since I've seen them and I wanted to show Yami and Jaden your beautiful house." Akiza brushed her hair back.

"By beautiful, you mean expensive? Right?" Yusei shook his head. "No. I mean beautiful! Like...the front door. The knob works...great. It opens and shuts the door perfectly." Akiza just rolled her eyes at Yusei's odd statement and got out her phone. "Today's the day they usually go shopping for food, so they should have plenty to make for tonight." She got out her phone and asked them.

"Hello. Hi Mom. Listen, would it be all right if Yusei and my friends come over for dinner? There's a couple more friends you should meet...They're names are Jaden and Yami...Mm hum...Great! Sounds perfect. Thanks Mom!" Akiza then turned off the phone. "They said they'd be more than happy to." They all cheered. "How are we going to get there?" Yami asked.

"Oh we can just walk," Akiza replied and they all got up. Once they were outside and locked the door, they all headed over to Akiza's house. As they walked, Yusei and Akiza walked close to each other. "So, is everything going okay with your classes?" Yusei asked. Akiza nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for the help earlier in the year Yusei. It really helped." Yusei laughed.

"Well...going online to research with you was really fun Akiza. I may not know a lot about the subjects, but I do know how to find my way around the web." Jaden turned to Jack. "What are they talking about?" he whispered, "Helped Akiza with what?" Jack closed his eyes and then focused on the couple as he reopened them. "Akiza needed help with her physics and calculus homework. She had some projects that needed some research done. So, Yusei and Akiza researched together, and then worked on the papers together. Although, Yusei told me afterwards he had no idea what she was talking about half the time."

"So why did he help?" Yami asked, "If he didn't know anything, why help her?" Jack shrugged. "It's one of the many things and situations where Akiza and Yusei do something together for no reason, except that they clearly have feelings for one another. When we point it out, they both get all angry or embarrassed about it." Jack sighed. "Those two are so in love, yet so shy about it." Jaden and Yami watched as Yusei and Akiza smiled at one another all the way over to the girl's house.

When they got there, Akiza had a key, which bypassed the gate that locked the boys out earlier. When they got to the door, Akiza's parents were there to greet them all. "Why hello there!" Ms. Izinski said, "You must be Jaden and Yami. And..." She turned to her daughter. "Akiza!" Akiza went up and gave her mother a hug. "Hi Mom!" Mr. Izinski was there too. "Hi Daddy!"

As Yusei watched, he felt this warm, fuzzy feeling inside of him. 'You made those hugs happen Yusei.' Yusei looked down and smiled at the fact that he was the one who helped, not just Akiza, but her whole family. That meant a lot to him, but even more so to the family in question. "Come on in!" Akiza said and everyone headed inside.

Leo and Luna ran off, to go find a special room. In the meantime, Jack and Crow sat in the kitchen, drinking coffee Mr. Izinski had offered. The rest of them drank some water, as they all sat in the living room. Yami and Jaden both watched as Yusei seemed a little nervous when they first started talking to Akiza's parents. "So Yusei, how's everything going at your place?" Yusei looked down and talked quietly.

"Well...it's going all right. We're just...trying to figure out ways to make some money." Ms. Izinski chimed in. "Aren't you helping repair Duel Runners?" she asked. Yusei sighed. "Well...I was, but...it's not fun anymore. Now that it's a job, more than a hobby, it's getting rather dull. I want to find something else I could do." Mr. Izinski nodded. "Maybe you could become a pro duelist?" he offered.

"You mean just like we were trying to do?" Jaden asked and then he and Yami told the Izinski's their whole "story." When they were done, Mr. Izinski seemed upset. "Do you want me to find out who these people were? I have some very good resources." Yami shook his head. "That wouldn't be necessary," he replied, "Because Jaden and I are trying to use this as a advantage." Mr. Izinski was baffled.

"You see, Yami and I are trying to make new decks. Plus, it might be better than our old ones." Mr. Izinski nodded. "Well...that certainly seems like something Yusei would do as well." Yusei looked away, nervous about the connection to him. Akiza smiled and then asked her father about how his work was going. As they talked, Jaden and Yami noticed that, despite being a senator, he didn't talk much about politics. They both thought he'd talk about how the economy should work, taxes, and all that boring stuff. But Mr. Izinski was very down to earth, something neither saw in politics during their times. They watched as Yusei slowly managed to talk to Mr. Izinski, even if he still seemed a bit nervous. They soon started talking about the local sports teams and, soon they all heard a timer ding.

"That's dinner," Ms. Izinski noted, "We're having a wonderful stew and fresh biscuits." Everyone smiled as they were called to the dinner table. They all said grace and then dug into the wonderful food. As they talked to each other, Yusei still wondered how he was faring in talking to the Izinski parents. When he had a moment, he whispered to Yami and Jaden and asked how things were going.

"Very good," Jaden replied, "You really seem to get along with them well. Which means, you and Akiza could hook up with little to no problems at all. Still, we'll try and see if there's a way to know for sure they trust you." Yusei turned to Akiza and was taking by surprise, when Yami suddenly asked how their lives have changed since Yusei entered into them. Ms. Izinski took a moment, before turning to Yusei.

"He has made it so much better, " she started. "Yusei has helped bring us closer and better than we were before the whole situation. I couldn't be more happier to have my daughter in her own parents house again. We owe it all to you Yusei and I couldn't be more proud and happy that you entered into Akiza's life." Yusei looked down blushing, but Mr, Izinski had to add in his two cents.

"Yusei helped bring our family closer to one another. However, he also feels like the son I never had. He's kind, gentle, and caring. Most guys are into being tough and strong. However, Yusei goes his own path. Martha has told him he's a big softy and she raised him very well. He has good values and respects people. I know that last one's especially true for Akiza. He didn't have to do the things he did. But he told me that, as soon as he started going to the hospital and rode with me in the helicopter over there, he knew it was the right decision. In fact, there were a few things he told me on the ride over that I have never told anyone."

Akiza turned to him. "What did he say?" she asked. She looked over at Yusei. He was blushing like crazy, so it must have been something special and about her. Mr. Izinski laughed as he looked at Yusei's nevous face. "I'll just say that Yusei cares very much about you Akiza and wants to make sure you're happy. He care about your happiness very very much. He really does." Akiza turned to him and smiled. "Oh Yusei. That's so sweet. Thank you." Yusei continued blushing. "You're welcome Akiza." Akiza smiled and then they all went back to eating. Yusei was especially happy, because he now knew that he had Akiza's parents' trust.

Now that it got dark out early, Akiza didn't want the twins forgetting to do their homework, along with herself. As they were about to leave, Yusei saw Akiza picking up some of their empty glasses and such. "Hold on," Yusei said and he rushed over to her. She was going to go down the long hallway, which was one of the ways to get to the kitchen. Yusei waited for her to put the dishes down in the sink, before calling for her name again. "Akiza! Can I talk to you for a moment?" Akiza nodded and Yusei looked over his shoulder, making sure that his friends were nearby to hear this.

"What is it Yusei?" Akiza asked. Yusei sighed. "Um...well...listen...I..." Yusei looked down and still fumbled with what he was trying to say. Akiza spoke up. "What is it Yusei?" she repeated again, "Just tell me. It's all right." Yusei looked up and saw her smiling face. All right, it wasn't a big smile, but to Yusei it was a big deal. Yusei put his hand to his hair and started twirling it on his finger. Jack and Crow looked at it and knew something.

When Yusei played with his hair and pulled on it, it meant that he was lying.

"Listen...I...really want to invite you to something." Akiza gasped. "What is it?" Yusei took a moment and pulled on his hair, at the front of his forehead. "It's...a sleepover. Yeah...a sleepover. There will be pizza, pop, games, and all that stuff at our house on Friday. I was...really hoping to have you come over and join us. Leo and Luna will be there too."

"We will?" Leo asked loudly and Luna put her hand over her brother's mouth. Akiza smiled.

"I've never been to a sleepover before, so that would be nice. What time?" Yusei put his hand back into his hair. "Uh...it's seven. Seven o'clock." Akiza nodded. "Okay. I'll see you then, but probably before then too." Yusei nodded and managed to bring his hand back down to his side. They all said goodbye and then headed back out into the street.

"We were never told there was a sleepover on Friday," Luna noted. Jack frowned and had his arms crossed. "Of course you didn't, because Yusei fibbed." Leo and Luna turned to him as Jack continued. "He was lying and came up with that on the spot." Yusei stopped walking. "So?" he asked, "I got Akiza to come over for the night! I've never done that before!" Crow put his hands on his hips.

"Yeah. You probably are hoping she'll be in some sexy nightwear." Yusei shook his head. "No I don'!"

"And what about all of that stuff that your promised her?" Yami asked, "Pizza? Games? Pop?" Yusei sighed. "I'll be sure to get some of that stuff later. I'll try to find some odd jobs to do in order to get the money for it." They all started walking and Yusei heard some sly remarks from Jack and Crow on how he was going to do it. "Don't worry Yusei," he said to himself, "You'll be able to get that sleepover ready and make it best one anyone has ever seen!" He kept walking and was now getting excited about even his little fib. He stopped at a red light and realized something.

'I've never been to a sleepover, so I have no idea what I'm doing.'

**Next Chapter's the sleepover and how will Yusei pull this one out?**

**Thanks for all the feedback!**


	4. Sleepover Sorry

**Chapter 4!  
**

**Bentstua: It's Monday when Yusei came over, so that means he has from Tuesday until Friday. I apologize that part of the Chapter is shorter than I thought in this one, but I hope the sleepover more than makes up for it. **

** Flame-Metal-Heart: Yusei will be okay, but someone will spoil the fun! ;)**

**Eunice Pacheco: Glad you enjoyed that part, as I worried people wouldn't like it. Thanks for the support!**

**Anyways, I hope this Chapter is good, as I changed the idea after I wrote the last Chapter. Hope it's still good and thanks for all the views and reviews!**

Yusei sighed as he sadly hit the snooze and then turned off the alarm on his alarm clock. It was a Tuesday morning and Yusei was stuck having to get up early. He slowly put on his regular clothes and then went to the bathroom. Once he was finished in there, he went and ate a quick breakfast, before going back to the bathroom to finish up. Once his breath was minty clean, he went downstairs, took his toolbox, and headed out.

Yusei sighed as he yawned and looked down the street. He took two long and boring jobs fixing repairs. One today and one tomorrow. Once Yusei paid for all the parts he needed, he would come out with enough dollar bills to help pay for the party. While he didn't like the job, a few hours with Akiza, plus having her stay over, would hopefully be worth it.

As Yusei got to the right address, he hoped that the job would get over as quickly as possible. When Yusei came in, the man told him problems with his Runner, and let Yusei get at it. Yusei sighed as it seemed like every time he got one job done, there was still another one to do. A times, Yusei felt as though he was about ready to fall over and fall asleep. Other times, he felt as though he could work for a million hours without stopping.

During Yusei's lunch break, he ate the sandwich he made the night before. As he opened a bag of chips, he thought about what they would do at the sleepover. Just sitting and talking wasn't exactly the best thing to do, so he'd have to plan activities. However, Yusei had never planned something like this before, so his only idea was to play some type of board game.

Knowing Jack, however, a board game would bore him to no end. Even as Yusei knew Jack would throw a temper tantrum, this party wasn't just about him. It was about all of his friends, but that was even more true of Akiza. Yusei wanted to make a move on her, but whenever he was around all of his friends, he always worried about trying to make her number one. If he made Akiza's opinion or valued her more, other people might get upset and cause confrontation. Yusei never wanted that.

Despite that, Yusei secretly did value her input and wanted to hear about her opinion, more than anyone else. He thought about that as he got finished with the job. Once Yusei got done, he managed to go home earlier than he thought, with some new dollar bills in his pocket. As he walked, he knew that, even though he valued his friends, he would have to step out of his usual guilt trip. He would have to make Akiza more important in his life, even if it did ruffle up some of his other friends' feathers.

When Yusei got home, he had a quick chat with his friends, before hitting his laptop up. He still thought about what he could do to make Akiza more important at the party. He tried to look up advice on what to do and what to say. Still, all of the advice made him squirmy. Telling her some of his private, yet serious feelings was scary. At the same time, Yusei also wanted to open up to her and show her that he's not some "bad boy street motorcycle gang club" boy, but a really sweet and loving man.

As he looked up some more advice, a number of heads peer over his shoulder. "How to confess your feelings to a girl, without trying to get into her pants," Crow read aloud and Yusei turned around. The four other males in the house were standing above him. "Yusei, if you needed advice, come to us. Not some know it all online," Jack replied and then slammed the computer screen down. Yusei sighed.

"So you're using the sleepover as a springboard to tell Akiza that you love her?" Crow asked. "Don't do it there," Yami advised him, "There's too many people around. Tell her when you're by yourselves." Jack pointed at him. "But not when you're going to bed." Yusei rolled his eyes. "I know, but I'm trying to figure out what to do at the party, so that Akiza and I could become closer.' Jaden smiled.

"If I know you Yusei, based on what these other guys have said, then I think I know what you're going to have planned for the party." Jack nodded. "It'll be a boring sleepover, but I guess if you tell Akiza your feelings, then it'll be worth it." Yusei frowned. "A boring sleepover?" he shouted, "I'll show you! It'll be the best sleepover you've ever been too!" Crow laughed.

"It'll be the only sleepover we've been to," he noted. Yusei rolled his eyes and then got up. He walked past them and started looking through their stuff, trying to find something that they could do for fun. All the had were old board games, just as he thought. Wasn't there some sort of card game he could making, using a regular, standard deck? There were some games that Yusei thought of, but his mind instantly said "no."

Yusei decided to call Martha and see if she had any ideas. Yusei got her on video phone, but she had a thought of what would work. "I know you're not very social Yusei, but maybe having a little social time would help you get to talk to Akiza better." Yusei shook his head. "It's a sleepover Martha, you're suppose to have fun! Not sit there and talk all night." Martha shook her head.

"Just talking can be fun. If you guys get some good laughs and stuff like that, then it'll be fun for everyone." Yusei smiled. "Laughs! That's it. Martha, what was the name of that drawing game we had? You know, where it's like telephone, but you draw pictures instead?" Martha started laughing. "Puzzleda?" she asked, "You guys always enjoyed that one and it got rid of all the excess paper I had leftover from school." Yusei clapped his hands and smiled. He had his game and he knew everyone would love it.

As Yusei got to the second job the next day, he felt better about the sleepover. He decided that Akiza would hopefully find the party fun, even if it was a game she never played before. When Yusei got the job done, he quickly ran home, and tried to find the best place to order pizza from. "Yusei, what pizza place are we ordering from?" Crow asked as he dried his hair from a shower.

"I dunno," Yusei replied, "There are a number of good pizza places in town." Crow shrugged. "Well...make sure we get one with pepperoni on it." Yusei turned around. "What?" he asked. Crow turned around to face him. "You know...make sure you get a pepperoni pizza. Just being sure you get the right toppings." Yusei looked away. "Well...what should I do? I mean...I don't want to make people upset if they don't get the right one." Crow shrugged.

"Yusei. You're always so worried about what other people think. However, you should just do something simple. Just get a cheese, pepperoni, and sausage or something." Crow then walked away, but Yusei wasn't satisfied. What if he got that and Akiza wasn't happy? Yusei knew he had to do something and so he got his phone out. He dialed her number as quickly as he could, and then closed his eyes, hoping for the best.

At Akiza's house, Akiza hummed happily to herself. She felt her phone vibrate and then looked at it. She was surprised to see Yusei calling her, but smiled as she answered. "Hello Yusei," Akiza greeted him, "What's up?" Yusei took a moment to respond, smiling at just hearing her voice. "Hey Akiza," he replied, almost softly enough to make only the two of them hear him, "Listen...what kind of pizza do you like?" Akiza was puzzled.

"Why do you ask?" she questioned, "Are we getting our own?" Yusei shook his head, even if she couldn't see him. "No. I just wanted to know what's your favorite." Akiza was a bit confused, but decided she'd bite. "Okay. I'll eat the basics, but what I really love is Hawaiian." Yusei chuckled. "Hawaiian? Really?" he asked. "What? Don't you like it?" Akiza asked back.

"No. I love it," he replied, "It seemed crazy to me at first, but something about it just works." He smiled. "Anyways...that's all I needed to know. Will you still be able to make it on Friday?" Akiza nodded. "Sure," she replied, "I wouldn't miss it for the world." Yusei's face lit up. "Great! I'll see you soon," he replied, "Thanks again Akiza."

"No problem," she replied and hanged up. Akiza was still confused as to why Yusei asked for her favorite, but she decided to just go with it.

Later that day, Akiza came over, much to Yusei's delight. He let her in and took a seat. He offered anything to drink. "Why don't you ever offer me anything to drink?" Jack asked, but Yusei didn't hear him. After talking for a little bit, Akiza had to go home, but Yusei smiled as he watched her leave. Yami and Jaden went up to him. "You've fallen for her hard," Jaden noted. Yusei blushed, a rarity, at the moment, for him.

"Yeah, but she's a special lady," he replied. He knew that he wanted to make Akiza the happiest person in the whole wide world. Hopefully, that included Friday night.

Sure enough, Friday came as quickly as a race car. Yusei ordered pizza on the telephone and notified them ahead of time. "And one Hawaiian," he said with a smile. Luckily, he ordered from the bathroom, as he didn't want the others finding out. He ordered the basics, just like Crow suggested, but made sure to make a specialty for Akiza and himself to share. He hanged up and told them he'd pick up the pizza, to save them all time and money.

As he went downstairs, he smiled. Yami and Jaden had been big help setting up an extra inflatable mattress for Leo, next to his normal pull out cot. Akiza would sleep with Luna in another room as Jack and Crow and Yami and Jaden were paired in the other rooms. Yusei was bugged about not sleeping with Akiza, but he stressed to save that for another time. As Yusei went downstairs, Crow and Jack finished putting up an end table for the pizzas and soda pop.

"Yusei, you've never told us what you planned for the evening," Jack noted. Yusei shrugged. "It'll be a surprise," he replied. Just as he finished his statement, Leo, Luna, and Akiza all came over. "Hey Yusei!" Leo said as he and Luna carried sleeping bags. "Sorry we're late," Akiza noted, but Yusei didn't mind. "It's not a problem at all," he replied, "Come on in." They all came in and set their stuff down.

"So what kind of pizza did you order?" Leo asked. Yusei tried to dance around the question. "The usual," he replied quickly. "What's that?" Leo asked, "I need specifics." Yusei looked away. "Pepperoni, Cheese, Sausage, and...hamwaannian."

"Hawaita what?" Leo asked as Yusei mumbled through the last one. "Wait," Akiza added, "Are you saying you also got a Hawaiian pizza?" Crow frowned as he put his hands on his hips and turned to Yusei. "Hey no fair! We want a specialty pizza too!" Jack was especially upset. "Yes. I may like my sausage, but I believe that I should get the option to put other stuff on. Like onions for example." Yusei frowned.

"Look I planned this party and I'm the one paying for everything!" Yusei defended himself. Without even thinking, Yusei went, and took Akiza by the wist. "Now if you'll excuse us, Akiza and I are going to go pick up the pizza's." He gently took Akiza by the wrist and they walked outside, with Yusei slamming the door shut.

Akiza didn't know what to think. She hadn't seen Yusei this upset for a long time. She noticed that Yusei wasn't squeezing her wrist so tight that it hurt. It was a firm, yet gentle touch. Yusei was so mad and lost in his own thoughts that he forgot that he was holding onto Akiza's wrist. He starting walking rather quickly, so fast in fact, that Akiza couldn't keep up.

"Ahh!" Akiza screamed as she lost step with Yusei. He turned around and gasped, as Akiza almost fell over. "Akiza! Are you all right?" he asked. Akiza stepped forward and stood straight. "Yeah. I'm fine," she replied as Yusei let go of her, "But...why did you order a special pizza for me?" Yusei blushed. "Um..actually, I..." He gulped. "Was hoping we could share it." Akiza smiled.

"You wanted to share it?" she asked and Yusei nodded. "Y...yeah. I mean...I can't eat a pizza all by myself. If there's leftovers, you could take it home." Akiza tilted her head. "Yusei, you guys don't get treated to this kind of food very often. You should keep it if we have any leftover." Yusei wasn't going to fight with Akiza and conceded. "All right," he replied, "I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will," she replied and they started walking, with Yusei not holding her wrist anymore. The pizza shop was just a few blocks down the street and the two smiled as they went inside. Yusei gave over the hard earned cash he got, working on Runners he really didn't want to. Still, the pizza man smiled as he handed over the pizzas, and they all wished each other a good night. As Yusei left the door open for Akiza, he asked her a question.

"Are you sure you can hold onto all of those pizzas?" Yusei asked s she held onto a tall stack. Akiza nodded. "Yep. But if you're having trouble, I'll be more than happy to help." Yusei laughed. "Hey, I may not be strong, but I'll at least try to make sure you don't have to carry anymore than you already have." They laughed as they stopped at a stoplight, smelling the delicious food that was to come. They managed to hold a small conversation about Yusei working the past couple of days to pay for it all the way home. Akiza was a bit surprised that Yusei was less than happy about the work, but it was explained better once she asked where Yusei's Runner was.

"I decided I needed a break from it," Yusei replied, "I want to spend more time doing...other things."

"What kind of things?" Akiza asked and Yusei smiled. "Spending more time with you, Leo, and Luna for starters," he replied, "And that starts tonight." Akiza smiled and couldn't wait for Yusei to spend more time with her. As they made their way home, they heard small talk going on, and they managed to step inside without spilling a pizza.

"We're back," Yusei shouted and Leo cheered. Jack was still looking upset. "So, did you get your specialty pizza?" he asked angrily. Crow huffed. "Let it go Jack. Yusei did pay for it after all, with his dollar bills." Jack wasn't convinced. "Still, I want a personal pizza too." Yusei rolled his eyes, as Jack was acting like a spoiled little kid. "Jack, what's the problem? You like sausage, Crow likes pepperoni, Leo likes all three, Luna likes cheese, Yami likes pepperoni, and Jaden likes sausage. Having me order a special pizza for just myself and Akiza's not that big of a deal. Everyone else is happy with what they get, so just deal with it. Now lets say grace and dig in."

They all took a moment, but it didn't make Jack feel any better.

Later, they all sat around and ate pizza. Yami and Jaden talked to Leo and Luna some more, finding out they were pretty normal kids. "We wanted to invite our friend Dexter too," Luna noted, "But he said 'no.' He was too busy, but we both know that he was just white lying to get out of it." Yami smiled. "Well, be sure to let him know that he's more than welcome to come over whenever he wants and feels comfortable." Leo nodded.

"Yeah. Dexter's really shy, but he's really nice once he opens up and starts to talk." They all went back to eating, including Leo's fourth slice. As Akiza and Yusei enjoyed their special pizza, it made them both smile. "This is really good," Akiza noted as she looked at the flier on the box, "Lets get the BBQ Chicken next time." Yusei agreed. "That would be really good," he noted as Jack came over to them.

"Hey Yusei. Want some sausage pizza?" Yusei shook his head, as there was only two slices of their pizza left. "No thanks," he replied and took one last slice, "I'm having this slice and then I'm done." Jack frowned and turned to Akiza. "Akiza?" Akiza followed Yusei's lead. "No thanks. I'm having this and then I'm done." Jack frowned and tried to smile. "That's all right. At least you're full." He walked away and then looked over his shoulder. Akiza watched as Yusei stuck out his fist at her. She fist bumped back and they both giggled at one another. It made Jack so mad that his plate started folding.

'I'll get you two later,' he thought, 'Some way, some how.'

After they were all done eating, Yusei was getting to most nerve racking part of the night: the game. Yusei showed them the game and explained how it worked. "What you do is write down a word on the first page. It can be a person, place, action, event or anything like that. Then you pass it to the next person. They draw that word and then pass it to the next person. They have to guess what that thing is. You then pass it and the other person has to draw it. The drawings can't have words or numbers on it." Leo nodded. "So it's like telephone, only with drawings. Yusei nodded. "Exactly," he replied

They soon got started and, after a practice round, everyone understood how it worked. Jaden and Yami tried to pick out things that were around them, as they didn't want to give away that they were from the past. As they played, everyone got a good laugh at some of the drawings. Jack and Crow nearly fell out of their chairs at seeing Yusei's terrible drawing of a Duel Runner.

"He may be able to fix it, but he sure can't draw it," Crow noted and they all finally went back to the game. It was after ten and everyone was still having fun. "Man. I'm getting hungry again," Leo noted, "I'm going to reheat some pizza." As Leo went to get more food, Jack got a smile on his face. He looked over and saw Yusei sitting next to Akiza. He got a wicked smile and wrote down his next idea.

'Lets see how much you enjoy this,' he thought.

After Yusei passed his one to Akiza, he smiled as Jack handed him his. Yusei opened the book and saw what was written. He gasped and looked over at Jack, who smiled at him. Yusei gave him a mean look and then looked back at the pad, wondering what to do.

"Yusei and Akiza kissing," was what the pad said.

Yusei didn't know what to do. He wanted to say something, but it also would have cause a big fight, which is not what he wanted. "Ready...Go!" Leo shouted and everyone started drawing. Yusei looked around, not sure what to do. He had to think on his feet, which was difficult for him in a emotional moment like this. He quickly got an idea and started drawing. He bit his tongue and tried to scribble as fast as possible.

When the time was up, and he handed it over to Akiza, she laughed. "What's so funny?" Jack asked and Akiza smiled. "Yusei's picture," she replied, "It's really quite hilarious." Jack looked over and smiled at Yusei, who gave him a smile back. Jack didn't understand and desperately tried to figure out what Yusei had up his sleeve. They made it around the circle, with the usual giggles and laughs. When they were all done, Yusei went first.

They made their way around the circle, until they got to Jack last. "Okay," Jack said as he stood up, "My phrase was..." He then opened the book. Everyone gasped and looked at Yusei and Akiza, who were blushing red. Jack then flipped open to Yusei's drawing, which had two people kissing. However, they looked nothing like Yusei or Akiza.

"What the heck kind of drawing is that?" Leo asked. Yusei tried to lie out of the situation. "Well...I didn't have much time with the timer and stuff." Jack frowned. "It looks nothing like you two!" he shouted, "If the word was 'kissing', then that'd be a different story." Jack quickly flipped through the rest of the book. "Look!" he shouted and showed the rest of words and pictures, all which had "kissing" as the main objective.

"So what's the big deal?" Jaden asked, as everyone had missed his great drawing. Jack frowned. "Because it was suppose to be 'Yusei and Akiza kissing!' But Yusei made no effort to make it look like Akiza or himself were kissing! The man has boring hair and the girl's hair is curly. How does that look like the two them?" Jack noted as he pointed at Yusei's stick figures, "And look! They're stick figures, so it wasn't that much effort! At least put some giant breasts on Akiza's character, to make it somewhat accurate!"

Yusei stood up. "Why should I Jack! I mean, it's embarrassing to draw that situation!" Akiza gasped and took those words to heart. Was kissing Yusei embarrassing? Would kissing Yusei make him upset or angry? Did he not want to kiss her or show affection? Even though she might be taking it too seriously, it hurt Akiza's feelings and hope that Yusei loved her, like she loved him.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Akiza said to Luna sitting next to her, as Jack and Yusei shouted to one another. Suddenly, Yusei watched as Akiza walked away from the circle. "Akiza!" he shouted and ignored Jack. "I'm just going to bathroom," she replied, "It might be a moment, so play a round without me." Yusei watched as Akiza walked upstairs to the restroom and out of sight. Yusei turned to Jack and frowned, as he sat back down.

"Good going Jack. Now the whole evening's ruined!" Yusei said as he folded his arms. Jack sat down as well. "Oh come on Yusei! I'm trying to help you!" Yusei turned to Jack. "You should have let it happen naturally," he replied. Luna quickly spoke up. "Why don't we play another round?" she suggested, "To help you guys cool off?" Yusei nodded. "All right," he replied, "But I'll stay out of this round."

"Yeah. Me too," Jack replied and everyone else started playing again.

In the bathroom, Akiza sat on the toilet and frowned. Was Yusei really ashamed of kissing her, after he called it "an embarrassing situation"? Akiza didn't want to say it, but her hopes of being with Yusei might have taken a hit today. She debated if she should even stay here for the night. However, her parents had said that they would be gone for the night and Akiza was so happy to come over a few hours ago. She decided just to get up and get through the night.

When Akiza came back to the staircase, everyone seemed to be finishing up the game, with Jack and Yusei absent. Akiza came back and sat back down. "Everything okay?" Yusei asked as he put a hand on her shoulder. Akiza nodded. "I'm fine," she replied softly. Yusei leaned in a tiny bit closer. "If there's anything wrong Akiza, just tell me. Okay?" Akiza nodded, but didn't want to sat what was really bothering her.

"Okay, should we start a new game?" Leo asked as everyone else finished the round. "I'm not really in the mood," Jack replied. However, Yusei was nervous. He had nothing planned for the rest of the evening. "Come on Jack. Lets just keep playing! Just a few more rounds." Jack folded his arms and shook his head. "No way! What else do you have for us to play?" Yusei was nervous.

"Uh...well...we could...uh..." Yusei stumbled, as he tried to think of something else. He managed to find a deck of cards. "How about we use this?" Jack smiled and took it from him. "All right! Poker it is! Lets get out our wallets!" Yusei gasped. "No way!" he shouted. Jack frowned. "Why not Yusei? Are you chicken?" Yusei rolled his eyes. "Because gambling is bad and Leo and Luna are here! Besides, we're not playing for money!"

"What about pennies, nickles, or dimes?" Jack asked and Yusei shook his head. "No gambling! Not even chips!" Leo smiled. "I love chips! What flavor do you have?" Yusei sighed and took the cards back. "How about 'Go Fish?' It doesn't involve gambling!" Jack rolled his eyes. "Go fish? Really? That's the best you can do?" Yusei frowned. "It's a game everybody knows how to play Jack!" Jack just stood up. "I'm not playing some stupid game like that!"

"Well then don't," Yusei replied, "We'll let everyone who wants to play play and the rest can just watch." Jack just scuffled and Leo took the cards. "I'll play!" he shouted and Luna would too. Akiza felt as though this whole thing had started with Jack's suggestion and things still hadn't cooled down. "Akiza, you in?" Yusei asked, but she shook her head "no."

"I'll just watch," she replied. Yusei frowned, but didn't want to force the issue. Leo then started dealing. They played a couple of games, until Leo yawned. "I'm tired. Lets go to bed." Yusei looked at the clock. "Yeah. It's after eleven," he noted and everyone let the twins got to the bathroom first. The rest of them got ready in their rooms, until Yami and Jaden came to Yusei downstairs.

"Hey Yusei, do you have a minute?" Yami asked. Yusei nodded. "Sure thing," he replied, "What's up?" Jaden and Yami gave him firm looks. "You have to apologize to Akiza," Jaden said stonily. Yusei chuckled. "Why do I?" he asked, "It's Jack who deserves it." Yami's voice stayed strong. "Yeah, but you were the one to call kissing Akiza an embarrassing situation," Yami noted. Yusei looked confused.

"I did?" he asked and the two of them nodded. "Now go talk to her," Jaden replied, "Luna's still in the bathroom and Akiza's all by herself. We just looked." Yusei sighed and set the blanket he was holding down. He then walked up the stairs, not sure what to do. He went to the door of, what was normally his room. He knocked and then pushed the door in a little bit.

"Akiza?" Yusei asked and spotted her, fully clothed in her Victorian outfit. "Yeah?" Akiza asked and Yusei stepped inside. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" Yusei asked and Akiza nodded. Yusei firmly shut the door behind him. It didn't lock, but Yusei wished that it could. He wanted this moment alone with Akiza. Akiza stayed seated and Yusei stayed standing.

"Akiza, could you stand up for a moment?" Akiza did and Yusei watched as she almost came up to his height, about an inch or so shorter than him. "Akiza..." Yusei started in a soft gentle voice. Akiza watched as Yusei looked for the right words. "I'm...I'm sorry." Akiza gasped softly to herself. "You're sorry?" she asked and Yusei nodded.

"I'm...I'm sorry about what happened tonight. I'm sorry for saying that you and me kissing is an embarrassing situation." Before Akiza could react, Yusei wrapped his arms around her in a hug. Akiza was stunned and she luckily couldn't see Yusei's blushing face. He had never hugged her like this before. He had given her brief hugs in the past, but this was a full on hug. He blushed and enjoyed the feeling of having his arms around her. He felt her chest spilling over his sides. Yusei had never felt that before. Maybe Martha was the only one. However, she was a mother and not a crush. Why must Akiza have such a giant chest? She had to have the world record for largest, one hundred percent, natural breasts.

Akiza, meanwhile, was stunned by Yusei's actions as well. She had never had him do this to her before. It was a warm, gentle feeling for her. It was nice. She put her arms around him, as she could hear Yusei's uneasy breathing. "I'm...I'm so sorry," Yusei continued, "I care about you...so much. I'm so sorry that I hurt you like that." Hen gently rubbed her back. He felt the soft red part of her Victorian outfit around her tiny middle. He leaned back and smiled at her.

"I care about you Akiza. So much. I'm sorry if I hurt you feelings." Akiza managed a smile back. "It's okay Yusei. I forgive you." Akiza smiled and leaned in for one more hug. Yusei held her in his lanky arms. Akiza leaned back one more time and smiled. "Thank you Yusei." Yusei nodded. "You're welcome Akiza." He then went to the door, put his hand on the handle, and stopped.

"Hey," he said and Akiza looked back at him. He closed one eye and smiled. "Have a good night Akiza." Akiza smiled and giggled as he opened the door. ""Hey Yusei," she called and Yusei looked back. Akiza then winked at him. "Have a good night too." Yusei blushed as he was surprised at how much he enjoyed seeing her wink at him. He was blushing like crazy, which Akiza caught, as he shut the door firmly from the other side. He sighed contently, as he had apologized to Akiza.

Even if he did need Yami and Jaden's help to realize that.

The next day, Jaden, Yami, Yusei, and Crow all were talking as Jack came downstairs. "Morning," he said, "Where's Leo, Luna, and Akiza?" Yusei smiled. "They all went home. You slept in 'till noon and we weren't going to be waiting for you so we could eat breakfast. Anyways, we wanted to play one last round of our game from last night. Care to join us?" Jack sat down. "All right," he replied and the game started.

As Yusei wrote down his idea, he handed it to Yami. Yami laughed as he drew and then handed it Jaden. Jaden laughed and Jack wondered what was so funny. Jaden then handed it to Crow, who smiled as he drew his picture. Jack finally got the notepad and looked at the drawing. Inside, was a picture of Carly and himself kissing each other. Jack looked through the rest of the book, which was the very same, even when he went to the very first page. In Yusei's sloppy hand writing was "Jack and Carly kissing." He turned to Yusei and frowned. Everyone must know about his secret crush on Carly.

Jack then threw the pad at Yusei and said, "You guys all suck." The four of them then started laughing, as Jack stormed off.

**A/N: I had a completely different idea when I was going to write this Chapter, but I'll probably put that down the line.**

**Anyways, hope it wasn't too bad and thanks for all the support! I'm thankful for all of your support!**


	5. A Date That's Not Really a Date

**Chapter 5!  
**

**Bentstua: I'm glad you enjoyed the sleepover. I at first was going to make it totally a good one, but then thought it would be rather quick. However, don't rule out another sleepover in the future! ;)**

**Eunice Pachec: Don't worry. Yusei will get him back. Also, thanks for calling it the best story. It's great to hear that!**

**Flame-Metal-Heart: So glad you're enjoying it and I hope I don't disappoint you!**

**A/N: I have a trip with my Dad for this weekend, so I apologize if the next one comes out a few days later than usual. Hope you're not mad and ********I hope you enjoy this Chapter!**  


Once Jack stormed off, Yusei thought about what happened the night before. For once, Yusei stepped out of his comfort zone and hugged Akiza. It wasn't that he didn't want to give her affection, but he never had done that to her before.

And he loved it.

He loved holding her in his arms and he thought that it really showed just how sorry he was. When Akiza hugged him back, it felt even greater and Yusei felt a warmth inside of him. One he could not explain. All he knew was that he wanted to do that even more with her. He wanted to give her hugs and...possible kisses. He wanted to show her the soft, gentle side of him that had to hide for so long with their battles during the Dark Signers, WRGP, and ZONE. He wanted to show her that he really was a sensitive and caring guy, who wanted her to be happy.

As Yusei daydreamed, Jaden snapped his fingers in front of him, breaking him out of his trance. "So Yusei, you apologized to Akiza last night?" Yusei looked down. "Y...yeah," he replied. He had told them about hugging her, since Jack was out like a light. They noticed Akiza acting much happier that morning and not so upset. Yusei waited until the time was right and explained it to them when she went to the bathroom, just before leaving.

"So what's my next move?" he asked. Yami smiled. "Why don't you ask her out to lunch?" he suggested. Yusei irked up in his seat. "A...A date?" he asked, "For lunch?" Jaden shook his head. "You don't have to say it's a date. Just go out together and say it's something nice for her. If everything runs smoothly, then you can ask her out on a real date. Kind of like a stepping stone." Yusei was nervous. A hug was a hug, but then a date? Crow then chimed in.

"Oh come on Yusei. You've been on dates, but they weren't really dates, with Akiza before." Yusei turned to him. "I did?" Crow rolled his eyes as Jack came downstairs, finally cooled off from before. "What are we talking about?" he asked. "Yusei going out to lunch with Akiza, but we're not calling it a date," Yami replied. Jack scuffled. "You've been on those before with her."

"What are you guys talking about? No I haven't!" Yusei screamed. Jack then explained it to him. "Your roller skating with her for example?" Jack replied, "And all those so called 'tutoring dates?' Face it Yusei. You've been out with her before, but you managed to have excuses before. You didn't know crap about what Akiza was learning in school when you tutored her, but you did it anyways. Then, you take her to a skating rink when she was trying to learn how to ride a Duel Runner. You didn't think about buying skates or giving something for Leo and Luna to do? They were there and they watched you guys the whole time! They even said it was a date and they're just kids. Heck, they had to wear lampshades all the way through!"

Yusei gasped. Maybe he had done this before. He admitted he wasn't really smart enough to really tutor Akiza. And then he had completely forgotten about the twins when they went roller skating. Heck, he would have wanted to buy Akiza a sundae, if he hadn't noticed Leo and Luna standing by an entryway into the rink. Still, this time, Yusei would know what he was doing, and it would be on purpose. He took a deep breath.

"Okay," he said, "But where's the best place to go for lunch?" Jack spoke up. "How about Cafe la Green?" he replied. Yusei shook his head. "That's known for coffee and Akiza and I hate coffee. Lets suggest ideas that are more known for food than their drink." Yami pointed to Yusei's laptop. "Why don't you look something up?" Yusei smiled. "Good idea. That way, I can find places that are good for both of us." He got on his computer and they all started looking.

Of course, Jack insisted that Yusei pick a place that was fancy, saying Akiza would expect it. However, Yusei replied that Akiza was much more understanding of his current situation, and that she wouldn't mind going someplace a little cheaper. Besides, like they had stressed, it wasn't a real date. Pretty soon, they found a place that made all of them happy. It was a bit higher on the spending scale, but had good reviews on their food. Yusei smiled when he saw it had lots of options.

"This place looks good," he replied. Jack then handed him a phone. "Now call her," he replied. Yusei took a deep breath. He first wanted to plan what he was going to say. Jaden and Yami saw that Yusei looked nervous. "Don't worry Yusei," Jaden replied, "You'll be fine." Yusei nodded. "Yeah," Yami added, "Just tell her it's a simple lunch with her. Nothing too big or a big deal. It's just that..." He thought for a moment. "A way for you to get away from us guys for a little bit." Yusei liked the idea.

"Okay," he replied, "I'll ask her to go out tomorrow, since it's too late now." He turned on the phone and dialed her number. When Akiza picked it up, her voice seemed to be excited. "Hey Yusei." Yusei gulped. "Hey Akiza...Listen...would you like to go out tomorrow afternoon for lunch?"

Akiza was surprised. Going out with Yusei? Akiza clasped her hands. Even if the twins were there, it would be nice to spend some time with him. Akiza wanted to know more about him and maybe they all could go out afterwards. "Sure thing," she replied, "Do you have a place in mind?" Yusei nodded. "It's called Mneada's and it's at..." Akiza knew where it was.

"Oh, I've been there before! It's really good. I'm sure the twins would love it." Yusei nodded. "I'm sure they would. The menu looks fantastic. Would it be all right to come over at about noon or so? We could walk there." Akiza smiled. "That sounds awesome Yusei. I can't wait and it'll hopefully be a lot of fun." Yusei agreed. "Okay. Sounds good. I hope to see you then. Okay. Bye." Yusei hanged up and was all smiles.

"What did you mean by, 'I'm sure they would?' Doesn't that sound a little weird?" Crow asked. Yusei shrugged. "She said the twins would enjoy it and I thought they would too." Jack slammed his hand into his face so hard, you could hear it. "Yusei!" Jack shouted, "Akiza thinks you're coming with the twins! You forgot to tell her that you needed to get away from us, because we're annoying."

"Wow, that's first time I ever heard Jack say he is annoying," Crow remarked. Jack turned to him. "What did you say?" he barked, "I said we were annoying, except for me of course. I'm the least annoying person that's ever walked this earth." Crow pointed at him. "Oh yeah? You give Yusei crap, because he doesn't like coffee. That's annoying!"

As the two bickered, Yami and Jaden watched as Yusei put his hands on his head and moaned. Akiza thought he was coming with the twins, so now what should he do? "Well...maybe you could invite the twins, but talk to Akiza most of the time. You could even try to leave them out like before at the skating rink," Jaden offered. Yusei wasn't biting. "Yeah, but then that would make them feel left out." Yusei gasped and remembered what he said to Akiza last night when they were bringing back the pizzas.

_Flashback_

"Spending more time with you, Leo, and Luna for starters," he replied, "And that starts tonight."

_End Flashback_

Yusei put his hands on the table and pushed himself up. "That's it!" he said excitedly, "This is actually a good thing!" He turned around to face Jaden and Yami, as Jack and Crow watched, "I told Akiza last night that I wanted to spend more time with her, Leo, and Luna. This would prove that, but also make it seem like it isn't a date at the same time! This is so perfect!"

Everyone else still didn't understand what he was talking about, as they never heard him say that to Akiza. Plus, this was a date with Akiza and the twins, so why was he suddenly so happy about it? They all looked confused as Yusei grabbed his phone and then dialed the twins' number. When Leo picked up, Yusei was almost giddy.

"Hey Leo, do you wanna go out to lunch tomorrow with Akiza and me? It's going to be some good food!" Leo smiled. "If it's me and food, then you know I'll be there." Yusei chuckled. "All right. Sounds perfect. I'll meet you at eleven and then we'll all walk to Akiza's house together." Leo smiled and told him they'll be waiting for him at their apartment. When Yusei turned around, to look at the guys, Jack had his face in his hand again.

"Yusei!" he shouted once more, "You should have said that Akiza and you were going to pick them up! Not the other way around! That way, you can walk and talk with her before and after the date!" Yusei just stared at him. "Whoops," Yusei replied and knew he had screwed up again. He sat down and tried to think of how he could turn his bad luck into good luck again, but had no success. "All right," he finally admitted, "I give up. I can't think of a way to make that positive, but I'm sure we'll still have fun." Yami and Jaden hoped so too.

The next day, Yusei got ready for his, "date, but we're not calling it a date." As Yusei was getting ready, he didn't feel the same as he did yesterday He didn't sleep well the night before, as he spent the whole night replaying what had happened the day before. He started beating himself up over screwing up, not once, but twice. He also started worrying that this date wouldn't be a success and his confidence was low. He worried he wouldn't get any alone time with Akiza and that's what he really wanted. He was so lost in thought that he didn't see Jaden and Yami come over to him.

"So Yusei, how are you fairing?" Yami asked. Yusei took a couple more deep breaths. "I'm...phhew...fine." Yami and Jaden exchanged glances. They knew he was lying. "Yusei. It's okay. Leo and Luna will be there," Jaden noted. Yusei sighed. "Yeah, but I want to make sure that Akiza feels it's more of a date with the two of us. I don't want it to just be an outing of the four of us." Yusei sighed.

"I'd better get going. I don't want to leave the twins wondering where I am." Jaden and Yami watched as Yusei left. They had to do something, but they weren't sure what. "I've got an idea," Yami said and whispered it to Jaden. He then smiled too. They went to Yusei's laptop and looked up the restaurant again. "This is where we'll go," Yami said confidently, "Yusei's must have beaten himself up over the past day and he seems to do that a lot. Going out with the twins is not the end of the world and it might make him a bit more relaxed."

"So...them being there might actually have been a good thing," Jaden noted. They finally understood what Yusei was referring to yesterday, before Yusei beat himself up. "It'll make it easier for him to mask being on a date and make him more relaxed. Yusei seems very uptight when he's not around Akiza or the twins." Yami nodded. "Yeah, but I'm still worried about him," Yami replied, "So lets go and keep an eye on them." Yami and Jaden quickly headed out, pushing their bodies to the limit, and trying to find a way to make this "not a date" a success.

As Yusei went to the twins' place, he didn't feel so excited about going out today. 'Why am I so stupid? Why didn't I make this a date with just Akiza?' he wondered. People always thought that he was so smart, but he was just average in the smarts department. Yusei decided it was best to just try and get through it, trying to make it so Akiza could just see him and him alone during the date. He got to the Tops and the twins were smiling as he opened the door.

"Yusei!" they cheered. Yusei smiled as he bended down and gave them each a hug. "Ready to go?" he asked and they both nodded. After they left the apartment, they started walking down the sidewalk, and Leo started talking about how he'll be able to eat his sandwich in one bite. As Luna half listened, half tuned him out, she looked over, and saw Yusei deep in thought.

"Something wrong?" Luna asked. Yusei looked over and shook his head. "No. It's nothing," he replied and they kept walking. Luna turned and pulled on Leo's sleeve, pointing to Yusei. "Yusei's acting weird," Luna noted. Leo looked closer at him. "Yeah, he seems really lost in thought," he noted. He then waited and started walking next to Yusei's side.

"Hey Yusei! I've was in this really great duel the other day! See, I was dueling this guy and..." Yusei suddenly interrupted him. "That's great Leo," he replied. Leo just stood still and watched as Yusei kept walking, almost in a daze. "That's really weird," Luna noted as Yusei continue walking, until he suddenly stopped, and looked around. "Hey you guys! Come on! We don't want to keep Akiza waiting!"

Leo and Luna exchanged glances and they ran to catch up. They both could tell something was wrong, or at the very least, different about Yusei. They all stayed pretty quiet until they got to the Izinski household. As the gates swung open, Leo and Luna stayed a step behind Yusei, letting him get to the door first. When the door opened, Akiza smiled, and greeted them.

"You ready to go?" she asked. Yusei smiled. "Yeah. Lets go." Akiza then closed the door behind and Yusei stayed back, as the twins headed back towards the entrance. Luna then turned back and saw how Yusei and Akiza walked side-by-side. "Hey Leo," Luna said to him, "Lets walk behind them and see if everything's all right with Yusei now?" Leo nodded and they waited by the gate. Yusei and Akiza made their way up to them, with Akiza talking about her busy school schedule.

"Come on you guys! We're gonna be late!" Leo said as he motioned for them to start going. "Leo, we're not going to be so late that the restaurant closes," Akiza noted as Yusei and herself started walking. Leo and Luna started to trail behind. When the "not yet a couple" got to the stoplight first, Yusei and Akiza turned around. "Hey you guys, why don't you stay in front of us?" Yusei suggested. "We want to keep you safe," Akiza noted. Leo was going to counter, but Luna spoke for them.

"Okay," Luna replied, "We will." Leo and Luna weren't happy about having to stay in front of them, but they didn't want to fight two of their best friends. They walked in front, as they were told. However, they were able to get a good look at Yusei and Akiza from ahead. They were smiling at one another, especially Yusei, who stayed quiet as he listened to Akiza talking. The twins noticed that he definitely seemed happier than he was an hour or so ago.

When they got to the restaurant, they all took their seats. Leo sat across from Luna and Yusei sat across from Akiza in a booth. After getting their menus, they all ordered water, and then looked at what choices they had. Yusei then asked Akiza was she was going order. "I think I'll have the special," she replied and Yusei looked at the price. It made him cringe. "I'll...have something a little cheaper." Leo and Luna took notice.

"Yusei, you don't have to pay for this," Luna noted, "We'll pay for it." Yusei shook his head. "No. No. I was the one who planned this whole thing, so I should have to pay." Akiza spoke up. "Yusei. I don't think that's such a good idea." Yusei blushed for a moment. "Y-Yeah. Of course it's not," he replied without thinking about what he said, "B...But I'll still cough up the money." He then showed him her wallet.

"No you will not," Luna replied and took the wallet from him. "Hey!" Yusei shouted and Luna tossed it to Leo. Yusei tried to reach, but Leo handed it to Akiza. She put the wallet high in the air and then stuck it into her bra. Yusei's face quickly got flustered. "You're not paying one dime," she replied with her eyes closed, "You are in no financial situation to do so." Yusei was more embarrassed by where his wallet was right now than not paying for the bill.

"A...All right," he replied. He then caught himself staring at Akiza's bosom. He tried to look away, but to no avail. His eyes made him start to think. 'She must have lots of room to put it in there,' he thought, 'Or maybe not enough room...God! Why did her breasts have to be bigger than her head?' Yusei broke free of her chest when the waitress came up to take their orders.

When they were all done, and Yusei handed the menus back, he then faced Akiza, and stirred his straw. "So Akiza, is...everything going all right with your parents?" Yusei mentally kicked himself for asking such a boring and rehashed topic. Akiza then started talking and they soon started talking about politics. Leo and Luna quickly found themselves out of the conversation, much to the dislike of Leo. He decided to intervene.

"So, like I was saying earlier Yusei I..." Luna quickly saw how Leo was trying to get into a conversation just between the two of them, and grabbed his hand. "We...uh...have to use the bathroom," Luna noted and Yusei and Akiza quickly let them out. Outside, Yami and Jaden were stationed outside of the restaurant. They were crouched down near the side of the building, facing the street.

"Yami, did we really have to wait out here?" Jaden asked, "I'm starving!" Yami turned to Jaden. "If we went inside, Yusei would see us," he replied, "Besides, you don't always need to hear what's going on. Sometimes just seeing with your eyes is just fine." They were lucky that the four of them were near a window seat. They watched as Leo and Luna left the table. "Where are they going?" Yami asked.

"Probably to use the restroom," Jaden noted. "But the bathroom's over that way," Yami noted as he spotted a small hallway that had a lot of people that went in and out of. They noticed the twins going towards the outside patio. They then moved over and actually got a chance to hear them speak. "Look Leo! As much as we want to deny it, this is clearly a date between Yusei and Akiza."

"What are you talking about sis?" Leo asked. Luna closed her eyes for a moment and then reopened them. "Leo, Yusei and Akiza were walking together, talking together, and now their doing the same thing at the restaurant. They're only talking to each other. Plus, Yusei was really pushing to pay for the date that he asked for. That's something I've read about guys doing all the time, when they go out on dates. All of the signs line up." Leo thought for a moment.

"But what do we do?" Leo asked. Luna looked him right in the eyes. "We try to stay out of their conversation as much as possible. Make it like we're not there, just like when they went to the roller skating rink." Leo nodded. "All right. Lets go back in and try it." They both nodded and they headed back inside. Yami and Jaden then moved back to their old spot and looked inside. Akiza and Yusei continued to talk about politics, as Leo and Luna listened in.

As Yusei and Akiza continued to talk, Leo again found himself bored. He noticed that Yusei seemed to stutter and almost look a little nervous when he spoke. It was really weird and Luna noticed this too, especially when Yusei had to respond. 'Is Yusei acting shy?' Luna wondered. She watched as Yusei looked down at his hands and Leo could see him starting to sweat. 'Is Yusei nervous?' Leo wondered as he was so bored by the conversation, that he wanted to touch the wet spot under Yusei's armpit.

Suddenly, there was a break in the action, and Leo saw a golden moment to finally talk about something interesting. "Oh yeah, see I never got the chance to tell you guys about the duel I was in..." Luna frowned and growled at him. "We need to use the bathroom again," Luna said as she took Leo by the hand. Outside, Yami and Jaden followed them outside.

"Leo, do you want Yusei and Akiza to get together or not?" Luna asked. Leo nodded. "Of course I do. I mean, we've looked up to them for so long and they've always seemed to care deeply about one another." Yami and Jaden looked at each other. They never knew that the twins wanted Yusei and Akiza together so badly. They watched as Leo and Luna wrapped up their conversation.

"So try to never talk to them," Luna noted, "If you wanna talk, just talk to me. Got it?" Leo nodded and they went back inside. Yami and Jaden took a while, as they got caught in the bushes. "Ahh! There are stickers all over my leather pants," Yami noted as they were stuck all over his legs and groin. Jaden tried to remove them from his red jacket. "Crap!" he shouted.

Back inside, Leo and Luna came back together. "Since your twins, do you guys have that thing where you can read each other's minds?" Yusei asked. Leo laughed. "No seriously," Yusei replied, "You guys must have your bladders hooked up together too. That's why you two need two bathrooms and to go to the bathroom at the same time." Luna laughed, but Leo decided to strike up a conversation to just his twin sister.

"So Luna, how do you think we did on that test?" Leo looked over and saw Yusei and Akiza listening in. "Oh, you're still here," Leo said and he quickly thought of something else. "Oh! Say Luna, what did you think of that last episode of Perdegmon?" Luna then commented back, even though she didn't watch as much as Leo did. They quickly used the kids' targeted show to get Yusei and Akiza out of their conversation, as neither knew much about it. It worked to perfection as Yusei and Akiza started talking to just each other.

Outside, Jaden and Yami smiled. "It looks like Leo and Luna did the work for us," Jaden noted. Yami nodded. "Yeah. They're trying to get Akiza and Yusei together too, just like it's a double date." Yami and Jaden smiled once the food came. They watched them all eat the food quickly and smile once they all got done. Sure enough, Luna and Leo paid for everything. Akiza went to the bathroom and brought out Yusei's wallet. Yusei blushed when he realized the fact that it had been in Akiza's chest the whole time.

"Thanks you guys. This was great," Yusei said as he eyed Akiza. Akiza smiled back. "We were more than happy to," she noted and they looked around. "Ready to go?" Yusei asked and they all nodded. They headed out and Yami and Jaden eyed the food inside. "I want that cheeseburger so bad," Jaden said as Yami and himself eyed someone's meal.

When Yusei and the twins got back to Akiza's house, Yusei wasn't sure how to say goodbye. He wanted to give her a hug or show her some display of affection. As Akiza stood in the doorway, Yusei bit his lip as the twins waved at her. "Akiza," Yusei said and she turned to him. Yami and Jaden managed to get there just in time to see, as well as the twins, what Yusei was about to do.

He stepped forward and put, not one, but both arms around her. Akiza gasped for a moment in shock, but then put her arms around him. When Yusei leaned back, he put his hands safely on her middle, in-between her breasts and "lower parts."

"I figured that if I hug the twins goodbye, then I should hug you too," Yusei noted. Akiza smiled and took it in. "Thank you Yusei. I enjoyed it very much." As Yusei let got, Akiza had something else to add. "I...hope we can do that more often." Yusei's face lit up. "Of course," he replied, "I enjoyed it just as much as you did." The twins looked at one another and they all waved goodbye. Akiza shut the door and the other three headed for the exit. Yami and Jaden rushed out of sight and watched them walk to the other end down the road. "Okay. Now all we have to do is get home," Jaden replied. He looked at the directions to the restaurant. "Except, how do we get there from here?"

The both looked up and didn't see Yusei or the twins anymore. "Crap," Yami muttered.

As the three of them walked home, Leo and Luna were all smiles. Yusei and Akiza had hugged romantically, for what seemed like the first time ever, in front of someone. Plus, the little romance at the end certainly signaled that the date seemed to go well. As Yusei walked, he was more happier in the fact that he got to be affectionate with Akiza once again. He enjoyed giving her a hug. 'Imagine what a kiss would do to you,' Yusei thought and he quickly had to dispute the thought. He had only hugged Akiza and put on a lame excuse about doing it for the twins as well. He should just focus on the fact that Leo and Luna provided enough of a distraction to help get through the "date."

When they got to the Tops, Yusei gave them both hugs, as he promised. "You sure had a lot of fun talking to Akiza, didn't you?" Luna asked. Yusei shrugged. "We really didn't talk all that much," he replied, "Most of it was about you guys." Leo and Luna gasped. "What?" Leo asked. Yusei smiled. "Yeah, we were just worried when we saw that you two went outside and not to the bathroom. We started thinking you were giving the bushes some much needed water or something." Leo and Luna looked at one another.

"Plus, when you said that you needed to go to the bathroom yet again, both of us worried something bad was wrong. Or maybe you both got each other sick with something." Leo and Luna frowned. So they they turned most of the date into talking about them? Plus the politics was the other good chunk of their conversation! That meant there was almost no talking about themselves! "But don't worry," Yusei said as he ruffled their hair, "We're both glad you're safe and okay." He then smiled as he waved to them. "See you guys later!" Leo and Luna frowned as they waved back.

When Yusei got back, he noticed that Yami and Jaden were not there at all. "Hey, where's Yami and Jaden?" Yusei asked. Crow showed him a note. "We went out to look at the city," the note read, "We'll see you guys soon." Yusei smiled. "Well good for them! They needed to go out and see what the city was like." Just as Yusei sat down, Yami and Jaden came home out of breath.

"Hey you guys," Yusei said and he looked at them for a moment, "You look terrible." Jaden huffed. "So...hungry," he noted. "Yeah," Yami replied, "Can I have a cheeseburger?" Yusei shrugged and got up. "Well...lets see what we have..." Yusei looked around and found something. "We have beef here." Yami and Jaden's faces lite up. They wanted a burger of any kind, just like what the people in the resturant got to have.

"Really?" they said in unison. Yusei then showed them the package. "It's beef flavored Ramen!" Jaden and Yami's faces looked disappointing, as like the other guys who they lived with, were very sick of the said food.

"Arrrgghhh!" they both moaned.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed the Chapter! I apologize in advance for the next Chapter, if it does come out late.  
**

**Thanks for the support!**


	6. Finally a First Date

**Chapter 6!**

**Bentstu: It's okay if you don't have any new ideas. I kind of got a good idea for this Chapter, that I hope will give people a chuckle. **

** spectr (Chapter 1): I'm really happy you enjoyed the first Chapter and plot! I hope you enjoy the rest of the story as well!**

** yoshi . abbycoco: I would love to include a duel or two, but sadly, I'm not very good when it comes to writing out accurate duels. I could write a few duels and skim through them though. As for Chapter six, here it is!**

**A/N: I hope you enjoy their first date (if the title wasn't a spoiler already) ;)**

As Jaden and Yami regretfully ate the noodles, they knew what came after a "date that's not really a date." A real date. They all watched Yusei, as he sat down, and took a deep breath. "So Yusei, when's the real date?" Yami asked. Yusei turned to them. "What are you talking about?" he asked. Yami rolled his eyes. "Since your so called, 'date that's not a date,' went so well, when are you going to have the real date?" Yusei looked away. "I dunno," he replied, "Maybe...in a few weeks?"

"A few weeks?" Jaden asked, "Are you crazy? Akiza probably would like it if you could go out again really soon." Yusei shook his head. "Uh...no," he replied, "Besides, she's probably busy with school and stuff." Yami stood up and walked over to him. "Yusei," he said firmly and Yusei looked up at him. Yami looked over at Jack and Crow, to be sure they were distracted. They were and so he continued.

"Jaden and I came here, because we wanted to be sure that you two got together, not only as you promised us, but to make sure that you would truly be happy. I know that your feelings for Akiza burns brightly. I knew it when you first told us and I know it's just as true right now. I think you're worried that she won't feel the same way or that she'll reject you. But trust me Yusei, if you can go out with her once, alone, it'll make confessing, and loving her so much easier."

Yusei nodded. He wanted to do those things. He wanted to go out with her and show her that she stood out, especially in comparison to everyone else. However, he knew he would be incredibly nervous. "All right," he replied, "I'll call her and get it over with." Now, it was Jaden's turn to stand up.

"Hold on bro, you can't call her, and make it like it's a chore. You have to go in as if you want to. Otherwise, you'll say the wrong things, and it'll make it look like you don't really want to go out with her. You need to have some sort of drive." Jaden thought for a moment. "I know!" he continued, "Lets practice the conversation!" Yusei looked at them and felt embarrassed.

Later, Yusei found that he had his phone in his hand, with someone on the other line. "Come on Jaden! This is so stupid," Yusei replied as he stood outside. "Who is this Jaden you speak of?" Jaden said in as girly of a voice as he could, "I'm Akiza and I have big boobies!" Yusei rolled his eyes. "Look. I don't know what you two are doing, but lets just get this over with." He took a deep breath again and pretended to dial her number.

"Hello?" Jaden asked, as he continued to talk in a girly voice, "How are you doing Yusei?" Yusei tried to not to laugh. "I'm doing well Akiza. How are you?" Jaden then paused as Yami whispered something to him. "I'm doing fine," he replied, "I was just thinking about you while I closed my eyes and..." Yusei quickly interrupted him. "Jaden! Akiza's not going to say that! Say something else!"

"All right," Jaden replied softly in his normal voice and then changed back, "I was just thinking about you. Are you doing all right with the boys?" Yusei laughed. "Yeah. Jaden and Yami are a real help, as they are much more level headed than Jack and Crow." Jaden the replied with. "Mmmph. Mmmph. Now I was honestly concerned about them, especially when I first met them. I thought you guys might be sitting around in your boxers, which would soon lead you guys into taking off your boxers, and then running around naked."

"That's it!" Yami said firmly and quickly, "This is getting out of hand. I'm taking over!"

Later, Yami had finally given Yusei a more realistic conversation. "So Yusei, you doing anything this coming week?" Yusei then got nervous, just like the other times before. He stumbled for a bit before answering. "I...uh...I...uh...was...uh...hoping that you might..." Yusei suddenly felt in a panic. He took a few quick breaths, closed his eyes, and quickly finished. "Want to go out with me." When Yusei was done, he opened his eyes and smiled. "See I did it!" he said happily through the phone. Yami huffed.

"Listen Yusei, let me try that again, but only this time, you're Akiza." Yusei then listened as Yami tried to repeat what he said. "I...am...uh...hoping that...uh...you might...want to go out with me!" Yusei paused and repeated what he said in his mind. He sounded so nervous, even though he really was. However, with the way he said it, would make Akiza feel as though he didn't really want to go out with her, if he was in Akiza's shoes. Sure, she might find it cute with how nervous he was, but it wouldn't feel good with it being asking her out on a first date.

"All right," Yusei replied, "I get it." He hanged up, without telling Yami or Jaden. He wanted to do this by himself. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. 'Just think of what her reaction would be,' Yusei thought, 'Think of one part of her that would make you happy.' After going through a few "unmentionable body parts," Yusei found something to think of.

"Her smile!' Yusei thought quickly, 'Her smile would be perfect.' Yusei thought of Akiza smiling and it made him smile too. He had thought of her smile at so many points in time, many of which he could never admit to. However, he knew that her smile might be on her face, if he asked her out, and he wanted to put a smile on her face as soon as possible. Yusei dialed her number and waited for her, wanting to make her smile.

As Akiza laid on her bed, she closed her eyes and thought about Yusei. She rolled over and thought about him laying next to her. He smiled and looked at her. "Akiza," he said and put her arms around her. He then let her get on top of him. "I love you Akiza," he said. Akiza smiled. "I love you too Yusei," she replied back. They both closed their eyes and then leaned in forward. Just as she was about to kiss him, the phone rang.

Akiza opened her eyes and then saw a white, fluffy pillow in front of her. She looked over and saw her phone buzzing like crazy. She quickly picked it up and answered. "Hello?" she asked. Yusei smiled. "Hey Akiza," he said, "How's it going?" Akiza sat up and smoothed out her skirt a little. "Um...fine. How's it going over there? Are you guys getting sick of Ramen yet?" Yusei chuckled.

"Actually, I've hated that stuff since I was ten," he replied, "Anyways, I just wanted to know if you were going to be hungry on Friday?" Yusei bit his lip at his odd question. "Um...probably?" she replied, "Why? Do you want to go out, so you can eat something different for a change?" Yusei felt as though Akiza had just read his mind It scared him at how well she could read him almost as good as Martha. He hoped that it was one of the sings that they were meant to be together. "Well...actually...yeah," he replied, "That would be great."

"Well, who's going to be there?" Akiza asked, before answering her own question, "Jack, Crow, Yami, and Jaden for sure. I wonder if Leo and Luna would want to go too?" Yusei then nervously went forward to response. "Actually...would it be all right if it was just the two of us?" He held his breath as he waited for Akiza to respond. He almost had to fall over, as Akiza took a few moments to respond. She had to take a few quick breaths. Was this really happening? Akiza put her hand to her chest.

"Sure thing Yusei. That would be great." Yusei was almost as much in shock as Akiza was. "R...Really?" he asked. Akiza smiled. "Yeah," she replied, "Would Friday at seven be okay?" Yusei nodded, even as no one could see him. "That sounds great," he replied, "But what should I wear?" Akiza knew what he could do. "Just wear a nice button up shirt," she replied, "With black pants and shoes." Yusei was relived. "That sounds perfect." Akiza giggled. "And don't forget black socks. Martha told me that she had to remind you all the time growing up." Yusei looked stunned as Akiza giggled into the phone.

"When did she say that?" he asked. Akiza stopped laughing. "I'm not telling," she replied, "But I'll pick you up at seven." Yusei quickly wanted to say something. "Akiza. In all seriousness, there's something important that I really have to tell you." Akiza sat still. "Sure thing. What's up?" Yusei was quick to start, but then stopped himself. "I..." He looked down and thought of what he was going to say. He then had a good idea and continued.

"I don't want you to rush yourself. Okay? If you're later than seven, then that's fine with me. If you need to do your makeup or curl your hair or something, then that's fine by me. Just come whenever you can and don't rush yourself Akiza." Akiza was flattered. "Thanks Yusei. That means a lot." Yusei smiled. "Well of course Akiza. You mean a lot to me." Akiza blushed and returned the response. "Thanks Yusei. You mean a lot to me as well." They both smiled and they both enjoyed what was said.

"So...Friday at seven?" Akiza asked. "Yep," Yusei responded. "I'll be sure to see you before then though," Akiza added. Yusei blushed. "I'll do the same for you. Okay? Talk to you later Akiza. Okay? Bye." Yusei hanged up and was ecstatic. "I did it!" he cheered. Okay...Akiza did most of it. But still, Yusei was going on a date with Akiza! He ran inside and saw Jaden and Yami downstairs, by themselves.

"Guess what?" he asked as he raced over to them. They both stared at him. "What?" Jaden asked, "You hanged up on us!" Yusei nodded. "Yeah, but for a good reason! You see, Akiza and I are going out on a date on Friday!" Jaden and Yami smiled. "That's terrific Yusei!" Jaden replied. "Good job," Yami replied. Jack and Crow came back from upstairs. "What's all the commotion?" Crow asked.

"Yusei asked Akiza on a date," Yami replied. Yusei nodded. "Yeah. She'll be coming over to pick me up at seven on Friday!" Yami and Jaden patted Yusei on back, as Jack and Crow's jaws dropped. "What did you mean _she's _going to pick you up on Friday?" Jack asked. Yusei was still smiling. "She'll be coming over to pick me up," he replied, "What's the big deal?" Jack put his face in his hand, as Yusei had screwed up, for about the millionth time since he started trying to confess to Akiza that he loved her.

"Yusei, the guy's suppose to pick up the girl. Not the other way around!" Yusei frowned. He had had enough of Jack and his "who's suppose to do what" rules. He finally decided to just come out and be honest. "Hey!" Yusei shouted as he went up to Jack, "Guess what Jack? I don't care! If Akiza wants to pick me up for our date, then I don't care what you think! In fact, I care about Akiza more than I care about you! It's been that way for a very long time! So there!" Yusei stormed off, as Jack folded his arms, and closed his eyes.

Everyone stared at Jack, who was smiling. "Jack, are you feeling all right?" Crow asked. Jack opened his eyes and continued to smile. "If Yusei finally admitted that Akiza's the most important person in the world to him, then I can't be upset about that." Everyone else looked at one another and smiled, as they agreed it was good that Yusei finally got that off his chest.

At Akiza's, she laid on her bed and smiled. "Maybe Yusei likes me after all!" she said to herself. Akiza couldn't wait until Friday. In fact, she could visit during the week, and bug Yusei all about it. She wondered how Yusei would react. Maybe he might get all shy and nervous. Just how Akiza liked him. She enjoyed seeing Yusei acting all nervous and shy. It was so awesome!

Akiza went to her closet and found the perfect dress. She already had an outfit and wondered how Yusei would look. Either way, Akiza was going to try and make it the best date possible. She wanted Yusei to know that she had harbored deep feelings for him and she wanted to know if he felt the same. If he did, then it made this an awesome person to come into her life, even better!

The next day, Akiza felt nervous coming over after school. It would be a little awkward knowing what was to come. Still, Akiza wanted to check in on Yusei, and make sure everything was all right. "Come on Akiza! Don't be scared!" Leo encouraged her. "Yeah," Luna added, "Just act like it's a normal day." Akiza could smile at their support. It did make her feel a little better.

Once they got the garage, all of the men inside stopped talking. Akiza suddenly felt nervous, but Yusei quickly smiled at her. "Hey Akiza!" he said, "Hey Leo and Luna! Come on in." Leo and Luna went downstairs, but Akiza took her time. After a quick greeting with the twins, Yusei looked up, and saw her walking slowly towards him. Yusei went up to her, feeling a bit nervous himself, but he tried to give her a reassuring smile.

"Akiza, how was school today?" he asked. Akiza shrugged back. "Fine," she replied, "I have a big test on Thursday, so I'm worried about it." No one else in the room moved, as they all watched Yusei and Akiza talk back and forth. "Well...if you want, I can help you study for it," Yusei offered. Even if he didn't know what Akiza's subject was, he could at least ask her questions and try to help out.

Akiza truly wanted him to come over and study. Her parents were more than happy to have Yusei help her out. Akiza's mother almost always had a dessert for them to snack on and, even as Yusei would feel slightly guilty, he found himself diving into more than one serving every time. Afterwards, Akiza's parents would bug Akiza about how much she enjoyed Yusei's presence and how he must care about her a lot, if he's helping her with something he knows nothing about.

Still, Akiza didn't want to force Yusei out of time with his day, so she responded with, "Um...that's all right Yusei. I don't want to force you out of your busy schedule. After all, I'm really nervous about this one." Yusei frowned. "Akiza, I care about you and making sure you're happy. I'm sorry for how poorly I treated you when Bruno was still around and I mean that with all my heart. Plus, please don't put so much pressure on yourself Akiza. Just go out there and do your best. After all, you'll just be kicking yourself afterwards if you worry so much about the outcome."

Akiza knew that Yusei was right. She did put too much pressure on herself when it came to school. Yusei decided that he should end with a positive note, rather than the down note he just gave her. "I'm sure you'll do well Akiza. After all, I believe in you." Akiza looked up and smiled. Yusei gave her a smile back. "Thanks Yusei. Having you in my corner means a lot." Yusei chuckled. "Well...how could I not be?" he asked, "I helped save you from Sayer and I would do it a million times over again. No matter what."

Both of them smiled and so did everyone else. "So Leo and Luna, how are your studies going?" Jaden asked. Leo and Luna started talking as everyone else took a seat. Yusei sat next to Akiza and was still worried about what was to come. Going on a date with Akiza was going to be so nerve racking, but so exciting at the same time. He wished that he could just go out and say everything on his mind about her. That way, especially if Akiza felt the same way, they could become an instant couple.

However, Yusei knew that was not how things worked. Even though Yusei had bottled up so many feelings for her, he wanted a slow relationship. He didn't want to confess his feelings and suddenly be married in two days. He would have to slowly tell and show her this and that was going to start on Friday.

As the week progressed, Yami and Jaden noticed that Yusei was incredibly nervous and stressed. He took loud noticeable sighs and they both thought he was going to have a meltdown and start crying. They had never seen Yusei acting like this before and both of them knew that they had to cool him down somehow. When the twins came over, along with Akiza on Thursday, they asked them a question.

"Hey you guys, you have a big apartment right?" Yami asked as Yusei had vaguely told them about it. All he said was that it was the richest and most fancy in all of New Domino City. "Yeah," Leo replied, "Do you wanna see it?" Jaden smiled. "Yeah. Do you guys have a pool or something?" Luna nodded. "We have a pool and a spa," she replied. Jaden and Yami smiled. "Okay. Would it be okay if we went over tomorrow when you're at school?"

"Of course," they replied together in unison. Yusei frowned. "I hope we're not being a bother," he noted, but Leo shook his head. "No way Yusei! Just come on over and relax. You seem really tense." Yusei looked away, knowing that Leo was right. Still, going into the spa might relax him a little bit. Anything that might make his date with Akiza go smoother was worth a shot at this point.

"All right," he replied, "But what about Jack and Crow?" Luna then remembered something. "They're going to some Duel Runner get together," she noted. Yusei rolled his eyes. He had been there once and he never wanted to go again. All of the guys there thought that their Runner was the best ever and it was full of a bunch of arrogant people. It was the type that Jack liked and Crow knew a few guys had connections to the Pro Leagues (which Yusei had zero interest in). "All right. We'll be sure to pick up after ourselves," Yusei noted. "Don't worry about that," Leo noted, "If you leave a mess, we won't be mad." The twins then headed out the door as the other three waved at them.

The next day, Yami and Jaden went and got some basic swim trunks. When Zora saw them outside, Yusei explained the story to her, and she was more than happy to give over more than enough money. She thought that since they are better behaved than Jack and Crow, had some "terrible back luck," and are a friend of Yusei's that they deserved it. Once they were all set, they brought bags of clothes to the twins' apartment. "You should go in the hot tub Yusei," Jaden noted, "Maybe it'll make you more relaxed." Yusei nodded and took his advice. After changing, Yusei went outside, as Jaden and Yami were still getting ready. As Yusei slowly stepped in, he felt as though he was being cooked in a pot of boiling water.

One he got used to the water, he laid back. It was then that the other two men came outside. "All right! Bubbles!" Jaden said happily and he quickly got inside. Yami did as well and soon there was silence. Yami and Jaden wanted to use this opportunity to make Yusei relax. For Yusei, for maybe the first time in a long time, he was able to start feeling less tense. Yusei didn't feel so self conscious as Yami and Jaden were lean and average just like him. Plus, they didn't bug him about his looks and Yusei had the reassurance of Akiza's confidence. On top of that, the warm water felt nice and they had a great view of New Domino City.

Despite the fact that Yusei was actually finding the spa relaxing, Yami and Jaden had no idea. They thought that he still looked a little tense and they wanted to know why. They decided to start, by asking him about why he was so uptight all the time. "Yusei, why are you always so serious?" Yami asked. Yusei looked at him, as Yami continued, "You were so uptight during our duel and you're still so uptight now. Why do you take everything so seriously?" Yusei shrugged. "I just do," he replied. Jaden wasn't happy. "Look Yusei, you need to chill out some more." Yusei wasn't having fun where this conversation was going and could feel his body start to tense up. "Look, I'm just serious. That's the way I am and I'm not sure why, However, it can also be a good thing, as I am completely serious when it comes to my love for Akiza." Yami smirked. "If you're so serious, you'd be married to her by now." Jaden and Yami laughed. "Yeah, if they were that serious, Yusei would have a bunch of kids running around!"

Yusei was getting sick of all of the talking. He felt like his relaxing moment got ruined and so he got out. "I'm hitting the shower," Yusei replied firmly as he went back inside. Jaden and Yami looked at one another and smiled. "Maybe we should get out too," Jaden replied and they both got out.

As they sat and waited for Yusei, Jaden looked over and spotted a picture of Akiza on the coffee table. It was the twins, Yusei, and Akiza all smiling in a photo. They looked really happy and, surprise surprise, Yusei was standing next to Akiza. He was smiling and not looking serious at all. He looked really happy. "Yusei's not very uptight around Akiza," Jaden noted, "Maybe if we show him a picture of her, he'll be more inclined to explain why." Yami nodded and they waited for Yusei to come out of the bathroom.

As Yusei stepped out of the shower, he looked over his clothes. "I forgot my boxers," Yusei commented as they probably fell out of the bag when he was changing before. He remembered where he left his bag and decided to go get it. He didn't want Jaden and Yami to see what was near his groin, so he tried to tie a towel around him. Yusei never really had to deal with this kind of thing before, as staying with Jack and Crow was a lot more open, to say the least. Heck, Yusei had seen Jack and Crow going to and from a shower a million times before, completely nude. Whenever Yusei did it, though, he always got flack from the two of them.

As he came outside the restroom, Yusei was suddenly met with a picture of Akiza. "Hey Yusei! Look at this!" Jaden commented. Yusei stared at it. "What? What is there to see?" Jaden smiled as he had covered up everyone else, in the small photo, with his hand. "It's Akiza man! Isn't she gorgeous?" Yami was confused by what Jaden was doing. However, they both watched as Yusei stared at her, and started to agree. Her giant chest almost spilled out of her Victorian top and Yusei could feel his hand start moving his towel against his groin. 'She sure is beautiful,' Yusei thought as he tugged the towel back and forth against his groin. Suddenly, Yami spoke up.

"Yusei, you sure seem comfortable when talking to her about stuff, so why can't you be that way all of the time?" Yusei was too into the picture. "Yusei?" Yami asked. Jaden frowned and tried to break Yusei out of his fantasy. "Yusei!" he shouted and gave Yusei a shove on the shoulder. Suddenly, Yusei's towel feel off and Yugi and Jaden saw what his full size was down there.

"I think my pinky's longer than that," Jaden commented.

Yami gave him a hard nudge to his side. "Ow! Well it is!" Jaden fired back. Yusei frowned and quickly picked up his towel. He ran to a bedroom and desperately put his boxers back on, embarrassed that Jaden and Yugi saw his small junk. Still, Yami and Jaden were concerned. But it wasn't about the size of his groin. "I don't think that worked to well," Yami noted and Jaden nodded. "We'll just have to see if Yusei can handle his first date," he replied, "Which begins in a few hours."

Later, Yusei stood in his blue shirt, black pants, and black shoes. Martha was there, making sure he looked good for Akiza. "Now just go out there and do your best," she noted, taking a play from Yusei's playbook. "I'll try," Yusei said as she fixed his collar. Suddenly, the door rang and everyone watched as Yusei went to the door. "Hey Yusei!" Akiza said as he panned her over. Akiza had a dark red dress on and Yusei thought she looked stunning.

"You..." Yusei started and then gulped, "Look amazing." Akiza smiled. "Thank you," she replied. Suddenly, a flash came from Yusei's back. "Isn't she beautiful?" Martha asked and Yusei sighed in embarrassment. "Martha!" he said as he looked over at her. "Isn't he handsome?" a voice from a far said. Akiza looked over and dealt with the same thing as Yusei did a few moments earlier. Akiza's parents came over and smiled. "Mom! Dad! What are you doing?" Akiza asked, as she too was embarrassed. They both laughed. "We took a separate limo, so we could see you two acting as a dating couple for the first time ever." Martha then added. "I know! Isn't wonderful?" Akiza's parents and Martha then started talking to each other, looking like kids on a sugar rush. They then had Yusei and Akiza stand next to one another, as their cameras were going nuts. Yusei and Akiza, after a while, could only blush at the embarrassment.

As Yusei and Akiza finally made their way into the limo, everyone else just smiled (or laughed in Jack and Crow's case). "So, where are we going?" Yusei asked as Akiza climbed into the limo. He shut the door and they got buckled up. "You'll see," she replied. Yusei bit his tongue. He wanted to push further for information, but he was afraid that Akiza was going to take him some place fancy that was very expensive. He didn't want to have to fork over a lot of money, but if it made her happy, he could make an exception.

When they pulled up to a stop, which wasn't a stop sign or lights, Yusei looked out the window. They had been silent the whole drive over, as Yusei just sat and stared at his hands. They both made eye contact briefly a few times, but Yusei or Akiza would always look away while blushing. When Yusei saw the restaurant, he was puzzled.

Instead of a fancy, uptight, classy place, was instead an average sized family restaurant. "We're going here?" Yusei asked as he pointed at it and Akiza nodded. "But why?" he wondered out loud. Akiza could only smile. "It's a good place for first date. Not too big, but not too small either." Yusei smiled when he heard that. "Well...should I help you out of the car?" Akiza giggled as Yusei stepped out, before putting his arm back inside. Akiza saw his bare hand and smiled as she took it. Yusei gently let her out and she shut the door, letting the driver know to drive away.

Yusei then walked with Akiza inside and Yusei suddenly felt a little too well dressed for the occasion. He spotted people in normal clothing and he felt like he was just at a dance of some kind. "Don't worry Yusei," Akiza noted, "Just relax." Yusei was a bit surprised that Akiza knew what he was feeling at the moment, but maybe it signaled a bond between them. One that was much more than friendship.

After getting to their seats, Yusei quickly pulled out a chair, a rule that Martha reminded him about before leaving. "Thank you Yusei," Akiza said as she sat down. Yusei tried to push her in, but it was much harder with someone sitting in the chair. "Don't worry about it Yusei. I can get it," Akiza replied as she looked over her shoulder. Yusei let go and she moved it comfortably with ease. "Thank you though."

Yusei nodded and they then turned their attention to the food. Before Yusei could barely see a few selections that caught his eye, Akiza spoke up. "You're not paying a single dime," she said as Yusei looked over the menu, "I was the one that offered you the date, so I will pay for it." Yusei was discouraged and looked at her. "But...I was the one to call you," he pointed out. "That doesn't matter," she replied, "I was the one who suggested it and I am not having you pay for something you might not be able to afford."

Yusei was a bit embarrassed and also felt a little guilty. However, he'd be a liar if he said he didn't enjoy Akiza paying for it. After all, she was super rich. Still, Yusei offered to pay for the tip at least. "You are not paying for anything," Akiza repeated and Yusei backed down. The worst thing he wanted to do was start a fight with her, especially over something that was so very small.

After they ordered their drinks and food, Yusei sighed as he had gotten something more on the expensive side. Still, he apologized for it, but Akiza's smile never left her face. "You work very hard Yusei," she replied, "So, I think you deserve it." Yusei managed a small smile back, as he felt good to hear her say that. "Well...thanks Akiza. You're very sweet."

Akiza was overjoyed at hearing those words come from Yusei. Yet, there was an awkward pause, as neither one of them knew what to say now. Yusei looked around and felt bad. Last time, they had the twins to talk about, but now it was just the two of them. Yusei put his hand on the side of the table and felt is hand start to sweat. He decided to reach for his water and could almost feel it slipping out of his hand. Akiza noticed and tried to smile at him. "Don't worry Yusei. I'm having a wonderful time." Yusei then nodded. He tried to start talking about something. "So...uh...how did your test go?" he asked. Akiza sighed and looked down. "It was all right," she replied. Yusei instantly could tell that it probably wasn't very good. He reached out and touched Akiza's hand, which rested on the table. She looked up, as Yusei tried to figure out what to say.

"Did...uh...did you try your best?" Yusei asked. Akiza nodded and Yusei tried to warm her with a smile. "Then that's all you can do," he replied, "I'm sure you did great. Even if you didn't do so well, I'm still proud of you Akiza." Akiza put her left, free hand to her chest. "Thanks Yusei. It means a lot that you care about me." Yusei felt his chest warm with joy and pride. He looked down and felt it was best to admit something.

"Akiza...I've got to admit that..." Yusei was second guessing himself, but he knew he had to tell her. "I'm..." He breathed out of his nose and looked her right in the eyes. "I'm really nervous right now." Akiza's mouth opened into a small "o" shape. "I just want tonight to go well, since you're one of my best friends in the whole wide world." Yusei felt as though he had done a good job with his choice of words. However, he really wanted to say that she was his only best friend in the whole wide world. But he knew that should be for a later time.

"The same is true for me," Akiza replied. She gently put her right hand on his tan right hand and gently petted it. "You were my first true friend Yusei and that means you will always have a place in my heart." Yusei said Akiza's name softly to himself. "Akiza," he whispered and they both watched as Yusei firmly took hold of Akiza's right with his right. The both smiled as their handiness hands came together in a small, but powerful moment. Their eyes met and they felt as though their chests would explode with a warm feeling inside.

However, the moment didn't last long, as Akiza saw someone coming with two salads. "Our food's here," she replied. They both let go of their hands and then let their food be set in front of them. They made small talk about the food, before Akiza started talking about her upcoming schoolwork and how nervous she was. Yusei tried to tell her to just do her best, even though he felt bad for repeating the same line over and over again. However, Akiza was used to Yusei's repeating and thanked him again for his encouragement. Yusei still took her words to heart and they were soon served their dinners.

When Akiza started asking Yusei about work, he admitted he was still torn. "Don't tell the guys this, but I'm thinking about trying to find some job other than working on Duel Runners." Akiza noted that Yusei had seemed to show some dislike and tired of the work before. "Yeah, but they still think that, because of my past, it's still such a big deal in my life. However, since I put my Duel Runner behind, I've enjoyed other activities. I've also realized that I don't miss my Runner as much as I thought I would." Akiza nodded.

"Well, you should do what you want to do Yusei. I mean, you did save the world twice and I think that more than qualifies for finding a job you can or want to enjoy." Yusei agreed. "Yeah, but I saved the world with all of the Signer's help. Especially yours Akiza." Akiza was surprised that Yusei singled her out like that. "What do you mean?" she asked. Yusei chuckled. "I'll tell you some other time," he replied. Akiza frowned, but Yusei decided to be a bit daring. He then closed one of his eyes and winked at her.

Akiza's frown quickly disappeared and a smile came back to her face. Yusei patted himself on the back for that sly, but mostly kind hearted moved. They finished their food, which was outstanding. As soon as they got the bill, Akiza quickly made sure that Yusei couldn't get a hold of it. She then took out her purse and put the right amount for the food, plus tip. Yusei felt bad seeing the money lay there and then be passed to the person who served them. Still, as Akiza stood up, and asked if he was ready to leave, Yusei smiled and they left.

The date had gone well, but there was something that still bothered Yusei. As he held the front door for her, he made a choice that he should do it right now. The limo was parked a couple blocks away from the restaurant."Wait Akiza!" Yusei said as she came to a stop and he jogged up to her. "Um...listen...would it be a bother if we could..." Yusei stared into her beautiful eyes and finally couldn't take it anymore. He closed his eyes and changed his statement. "Can we hold hands?"

Akiza looked at Yusei, never really seeing this nervousness or fear in him before. She nodded, even though he didn't have his eyes opened to see it. "Of course we can," she replied. Yusei opened his eyes and saw her sticking out her left hand. He smiled and then took it with his right. They then had a firm grip on the other's hand, as they walked all the way to the car. They got in, with Yusei holding the door for her, and they were soon whisked away.

When they got back, it was Akiza that offered to walk Yusei to the door. "All right," he said, as he was getting used to Akiza doing some of the normal male jobs on a date. She walked him to the door, as the other men spied on them.

"She's walking him to the door?" Jack asked. "Maybe the date didn't go very well," Crow noted. Yami and Jaden looked at one another. If not, then this could make them stuck here for a very long time. They both nervously looked outside, as the couple faced on another. "Shh!" Crow hushed, "They're talking."

"Thank you Yusei," Akiza said, "I had a wonderful time." Yusei tried to grin very widely. "Your welcome Akiza, but you did most of the work. You paid for the food, drove me there and back, and now you walked me to the door." Akiza nodded. "That may be so, but I'm glad that I got to do this with you." She looked down and grabbed Yusei's right hand with both of hers. "I really enjoy spending time with just you Yusei and I really want to do that more in the future." Yusei smiled.

"I know what you mean Akiza," he replied as he put his hand on top, to put all four hands together, "Spending time with just you is very important to me and I would love to go out with you again." He tiled his head. "That is...if you'd want to." Akiza nodded. "I sure will Yusei. It's a deal." They both smiled at one another and just stared into the other's eyes.

Yusei then remembered that he told Akiza he wanted to be more affectionate. "Akiza, would..." He stopped as he knew he was probably wrecking a romantic moment, "Would it be all right if I gave you a hug?" Akiza smiled. "That sounds wonderful," she replied. They let go of each other's hands and Yusei wrapped his arms around Akiza. Akiza enjoyed this moment and feeling her body being pressed into Yusei's. As Yusei let go, Akiza apologized. "I'm sorry," she replied and Yusei's face turned surprised. "What do you mean?" he asked, but Akiza smiled.

"I didn't get to hug you," she replied. Yusei smiled and Akiza leaned forward and gave him a hug. Yusei didn't mind the fact that Akiza was hugging him. In fact, he enjoyed it just as much as the first, and so did Akiza. They leaned back, but their hands slid down their arms, until they met at their other's hand. They then boriught all four hands together and smiled at one another.

"Well...I guess I'd better get going," Akiza noted and they slowly separated their hands. "Okay," Yusei said, "I'll see you soon." Akiza nodded and they went the opposite directions. Yusei faced the door and Akiza went back to the car. Both of them opened the door in front of them and peered at one another one last time. They both smiled confidently at one another, before getting into their respectful places.

**A/N: Hope the date wasn't a bore and I hope you enjoyed it!**


	7. Connections to the Past and a Deck

**Chapter 7!  
**

**Bentstu: Glad you enjoyed the spa event! I don't honestly know what made me think of it, but I'm glad it fit.**

**Flame-Metal-Heart: Glad you thought it was cool. I worried it might be too boring with Yusei being so nervous, but I'm glad you enjoyed it.**

**Also, for yoshi . abbycoco, there's a duel in this Chapter! I hope you guys and gals enjoy it!**

As Yusei took a deep breath, all of the guys surrounded him. "Man! I thought your date didn't go so well," Crow exclaimed, "But then you hugged not once, but twice!" Yusei chuckled. "Yeah. Akiza and I are probably going to be quite affectionate," he noted. Jack rolled his eyes. "Please don't be one of those couples that can't keep their hands off of one another and are lovey dovey 24/7." Yusei shrugged. "Hey, I wouldn't mind that. In fact, I'd actually love it," he replied as he then eyed Jack, "Plus, it'd be nice to be affectionate all of the time, instead only when I'm trying to get some action." Jack turned to him and Yusei stuck out his tongue, as everyone else laughed.

At Akiza's house, her parents were full of questions and wonder. "So how did it go?" they asked once Akiza came into the door. Akiza smiled. "It was fine," she replied. "Was he a gentleman?" her father questioned. "Kind of," she replied, "Although, he was really really nervous." Mr. Izinski smiled. "Yusei? Really? The man's battled Dark Signers and saved the world, but he gets nervous about a date with you?" Akiza smiled as she sat down on a recliner.

"Yeah. I can't believe it either." Ms. Izinski smiled as she drank some coffee. "He must really like you Akiza," she noted. Akiza blushed. "Mom! We don't know that yet. He's never told me that." Mr. and Ms. Izinski looked at one another and chuckled. "What's so funny?" Akiza asked. They both quickly drank their coffee. "Nothing," they both replied. Akiza rolled her eyes and stood up.

"I think that coffee's getting to your head," she said as she walked upstairs.

As Akiza went to her bedroom, she laid on her bed and sighed. "That was amazing!" she replied as she closed her eyes and thought about the way Yusei smiled at her. When they said goodbye, it wasn't sad at all. Getting to smile at each other like that was amazing! Not to mention the fact that Yusei and Akiza hugged twice in a row. It was so cool to feel each other's warmth coming through each other's bodies. Akiza sighed as she enjoyed the moment and couldn't wait to experience it again.

The next day, Leo and Luna called their friend Dexter up. "Come on Dex! Lets go see Yusei again! It's been a while since you've visited and you haven't met his new friends Yami and Jaden." Dexter looked away. "Are...are you sure he'd want me to?" Luna nodded. "Of course Dexter! He's your friend. And besides, Akiza and him are finally starting to get together! So we'll be able to ask them about how their date last night went."

"Their dating?" he asked, "When did that start?" Leo grinned. "They just started last night. It's about time those two got together. Heck, when you were at the Fortune Cup, we even talked about what Yusei did for her seemed like much more than friendship." Dexter agreed. Those two did seem to have a connection or "bond" that seemed like much more than friendship. "Okay," he replied, "Are you sure he wouldn't be mad if we asked him about the date?" Luna laughed.

"I'm sure not," she replied, "But he might get defensive about it and maybe start to blush. It'll be a lot of fun." Dexter smiled. "All right. Maybe I'll head over." They all said goodbye and Dexter hanged up. As he made his way outside, he thought about what Leo and Luna had talked about. Ever since life had gotten back to normal, the twins had spent more time with this "Yami and Jaden" characters as well as everyone else. As Dexter made a right, he walked past a dueling store.

Inside, were tons of dueling cards and other equipment. On the top of the walls, were pictures of "legendary duelists." What Dexter, and everyone else, didn't know was that two of the pictures had been changed. Normally, there a picture of Yami, Jaden, and Yugi individually. However, since two of them had arrived, the two pictures had been replaced by just Yugi.

In another section, were "current top duelists." Sure enough, there were three pictures as well. One of Yusei, one of Jack, and one of Akiza. Some people might argue that Sherry was just as good, but the people of New Domino definitely agreed that Akiza had dueling skills far beyond Sherry's (both in Turbo and standing duels). Plus, it was some French woman versus the hometown woman. The hometown would win almost every time.

As Dexter looked inside, he looked at the, now different, three pictures of Yugi. He sighed, as he knew he would never be as good as him. He looked over and saw the Yusei, Jack, and Akiza pictures. It felt so strange that such good and legendary people could even consider him a "friend." He looked back to the Yugi pictures and wondered if any of Yugi's friends thought the same thing. He finally checked his watch and decided he had done enough pessimistic thinking. He then went on his way and headed towards the garage.

When he got there, Leo and Luna were waiting outside. "Hey you guys," he replied, "Did you guys go in yet?" Leo shook his head. "No way! We don't want you having to go introduce yourself all alone." Luna agreed. "Yeah. Lets all go in together." As they all walked in, Dexter felt shy and nervous. When the door opened, all eyes went to them. "Hey Yusei," Leo said.

"Hey Leo, hey Luna." His eyes then went to the only person left. "Hey Dexter! How's it going?" Dexter gulped. "Um...okay," he replied. He then saw, as he went downstairs, that two new people came up to him. They were a little taller than him, but he felt as though they were much bigger than that. "Hi! I'm Jaden," Jaden said as he stuck out his hand. Dexter then shook it. "H...Hi. I'm Dexter."

"Nice to meet you Dexter," Yami replied, "I'm Yami." Dexter looked at him and his face. Yami tiled his head as Dexter then spoke.

"Y...Yugi," he said hesitantly.

Everyone gasped. "Yugi?" a number of them repeated. Yami could only laugh. "No. My name's Yami," he replied. Dexter tilted his head. "But...don't you look a lot like Yugi? The famous duelist?" Crow leaned in. "You know. I never noticed that before. He kinda does." As the rest of them looked on, Yusei was baffled. 'Why could he remember that?' he wondered, 'Aren't Yami and Jaden's past not able to be remembered by anyone in this time, except for people that have met them before in the past?'

As Jack, the twins, and Akiza all looked Yami over, Crow got an idea. "Lets look it up!" he proclaimed and they all went over to Yusei's laptop. When the group got over, Jaden and Yami went over to Yusei. "You guys," Yusei said in a loud whisper, "How are they able to recolonize you?" Yami smiled. "They won't be able to recognize me," Yami explained, "Yugi was a separate part of me, so he still exists while I'm here. Don't worry and just watch." Yusei wasn't so sure and watched as they all looked up the legendary duelist.

"Hey yeah!" Crow said as he pointed at the screen, "Look at this!" Everyone ohhed and ahhed at the similarities. "Okay." Yami said as he stepped forward, "You got me. Yugi is related to me down the blood line. He's my great grandfather." Everyone smiled. "Wow! That's cool," Jack replied, which was rare for him. Yami then put an arm around Jaden. "And he's somehow related to Abraham Lincoln." Leo ran up to him.

"Lincoln?" Leo asked, "You mean the tall guy that was our President a gazillion years ago and helped with black people and all that stuff?" Jaden nodded. "Yep. The very same." Leo was all excited about Jaden, but Jack and Crow were more impressed with Yami. "The resemblance between you and Yugi is pronominal," Yami chuckled. "Yeah, but at least I didn't end up as short as him." They all laughed at the comment.

As for Jaden, he didn't remember his US history as well as he should. So, he let Leo fill him in on some of the details, as he had to pick a President to do a report on. Jaden smiled and wondered how well they had escaped their trouble. His explanation had less problems than Yami, as Jack and Crow started firing questions. "So do you have any good dueling tips?" Jack asked. "Did Yugi leave anything for you?" Crow asked, "Do you have any of his legendary stuff?"

As they fired even more questions, Yusei went up to him. "Okay guys, I think that's enough." He smiled as he looked over at Akiza. Through this whole thing, Akiza didn't bother either Jaden or Yami. She stood next to Luna, who watched as Leo tried to walk like Lincoln. "Akiza, are you doing all right?" he asked. Akiza nodded. "Yeah. Is everything okay with you?" Yusei nodded. "Yeah. Thanks so much for asking." They both smiled as Jack and Crow had an idea.

"Hey! Lets go to the dueling shop!" Jack suggested. Everyone turned to him. "Why would we do that?" Leo asked. "Because we're talking about dueling and I remembered that they just released some new cards," Jack explained, "Plus, that way, we can help Jaden and Yami build up a new deck." Everyone looked around and shrugged. "Well...I guess we can go," Crow replied and they soon found themselves outside and locking the door.

As everyone walked, Yusei and Akiza found themselves walking side by side yet again. Everyone wondered if they would ask for a second date out. "So...is everything going okay?" Yusei asked. Akiza looked at him puzzled. "Yeah. Why? Is there something you wanna tell me?" Yusei looked away. "No. It's just..." He knew this wasn't exactly where he wanted to bring it up, but he felt like he should say it. "I...just...uh..." Akiza looked at him funny. "Really...had a really fun time the other night."

Akiza smiled. "I did too Yusei." She leaned in close and whispered. "We can schedule another date later. When there aren't so many eyes on us." Yusei and her locked eyes as Yusei donned a confidence smile. "That sounds wonderful," he replied softly. It made Akiza feel giddy at the thought that he really wanted to go out with her again. Yusei was also excited at the thought, as the second date might be a little more affectionate. The thought of getting to show the soft, gentle side of him made Yusei beam with joy.

Behind them, Dexter had remained rather quiet since he had arrived. He still got nervous around Yusei and the others, especially his two new friends. Still, Yami remembered that they never really got to get antiquated, so he slowed down, and caught up to him."Hey, we never really got to catch up," Yami stated, "I'm Yami." He stuck out his hand.

"Dexter," he replied. Dexter didn't know what to say, but Yami did. "So, you're friends with Leo and Luna?" Dexter nodded. "Since we were little kids," he replied. Yami smiled. "Do you duel?" Dexter looked at him like he was crazy. "Of course," he replied, "I do go to Duel Academy." Yami nodded. "R...ight," he replied, "I knew that." After a brief moment of silence, Yami thought of something. "Would it be okay if I look at your deck?" Dexter quickly became nervous. "Um...I don't have it with me," he replied.

"How far away do you live?" Yami asked. "A ways away," he replied, not wanting to have this go where it was going. "I'd really like to see your deck," Yami replied, "Could we go and get it?" Dexter became even more nervous. It was bad enough to have his so-called "friends" be considered the top duelists in the world. But now, he was going to have a man who was connected to the great Yugi Muto, look at his deck. Dexter didn't know it, but Yami had a much closer and historical side to knowing Yugi. "I...I'm not sure," Dexter answered back, "Maybe we could." Yami smiled. "Well lets go get it," he replied.

As they were about to go inside the card shop, Yami announced to the group, "Hey! We're going to go get Dexter's deck. I really wanna look at it. Will you guys still be here when we get back?" Yusei nodded and Yami and Dexter went on their way. Dexter quickly walked, but Yami was able to keep up. Dexter didn't really talk as they walked. He felt nervous and embarrassed. What if he thought his deck was crap? What if he finally showed it to Yusei and he then told him it was garbage? Dexter was really regretting this.

When Dexter finally got to his apartment, Yami looked around. It wasn't the fanciest, but it wasn't trash either. The one thing Yami noticed was no mother or father around. "Where are you're Mom and Dad?" Yami asked. "They're like Leo and Luna's," Dexter replied, "They're always on business and never around." Yami frowned. "Do you miss them?" Dexter sighed.

"I don't know," he replied, "I'm glad that they can let me live like this, but I do miss the love and affection a lot. I'd like to get hugs, kisses, and all that kind of stuff. However, I've realized that I might spend my whole life alone. No one could love a loser like me." Yami frowned as Dexter got his deck. Neither said a word until they got back to the card shop. When they got there, Yami instantly noticed Yusei in one area of the store, with Akiza in another. Jack and Crow were looking through stuff, as Jaden was on his own. First, Yami went up to Jack and Crow.

"Hey guys, whatcha doing?" Crow picked up some cards. "We're trying to figure out what deck to build," he replied. "So what deck did you wanna make?" Yami looked around. "Uh...?" he wondered out loud. Yami had no idea what was the new and best type of deck to assemble. He turned to Dexter and smiled. "Dexter, can I see your deck?" Dexter nervously pulled it out and handed it to him. Yami pulled out Dexter's top card.

"I want to make a deck like Dexter's!" he decided after seeing the card. Crow and Jack looked at him as if he was out of his mind. "Dexter's? Are you crazy?" Jack asked. Dexter frowned, but Yusei overheard them and came over. "Hey! Yami can pick whatever deck he wants. Besides, he could also pick another type to work with." Jack and Crow were confused. "What do you mean?" Crow asked, "He could work with two types?" Yusei smiled.

"Sure. Like..." He spotted Akiza. "I could make a deck with some of my monsters and then some plant monsters, like Akiza's for example. That way, I'd have two decks to play with and have a good chance of getting a card here or there that works." Jack just laughed. "Or you could make it look really stupid and get beaten to a pulp." Yusei frowned. "What are you saying?" he asked. Crow put a fist in the air.

"I say it's a challenge," he replied, "Make a deck with Akiza's plants monsters mixed with yours. Then, Yami can see how well it'll work." Yusei smiled. "All right, sounds like a good idea." Yusei then went over to Akiza to propose it. "Akiza, can I talk to you for a minute?" Akiza looked up. "Um...yeah sure." Yusei frowned. "Akiza, is something wrong?" Akiza shook her head.

"No..." she answered back very quickly, "I just was looking at a way to make my deck stronger." She looked down. "Would...would it be all right to ask for your advice? I know you're probably very busy." Yusei smiled. "Of course Akiza. I'd be more than happy to help you." Yusei then leaned in forward and looked at the card she was holding. "Would this be a good card to add?" Akiza questioned. Yusei looked at it and they started talking about it.

"It would be a good fit," he replied after a few moments, "After all, you wanna get Black Rose Dragon out as soon as possible." Akiza nodded. "If anyone knows my deck as good as I do, it's you Yusei." Yusei quickly tried to hide a blush. "Yeah...right," he replied bashfully, "Uh...anyways, lets look over some of these other cards together." As they looked over some more plant monsters, Jack was growing impatient. "Come on Yusei! Lets see some decks out and some card swapping!" Yusei turned around and tried to give Jack a mean look. Akiza then asked him what he was talking about.

"Um...Yami wanted to do a mixture of two decks. I said yes and Jack said no. So, I was going to duel him with some of my cards and some of your cards mixed together." Akiza was stunned. "My cards?" she asked and Yusei became afraid. "Why? Is that a problem? Are you upset Akiza?" Akiza took a good look at him. There was concern and worry in his eyes, even if it was for some stupid bet with Jack.

"No. It's fine Yusei. It's just that I really need help with my deck and I wanted to make it better. I was hoping we could do that together, but if you need to do some bet with Jack, then I understand." Yusei nodded. "Akiza, I'd be more than happy to help you. That's much more important than what we're doing, so lets focus on your needs first." They both started to look through cards, as Jack angrily tapped his finger on his forearm. Finally, he went up to Yusei wanting answers. "Yusei! When are we gonna duel?" Jack shouted and Yusei turned to him.

"Wait until we're done!" Yusei said in an upset tone, "I'm helping Akiza first!" Crow smirked. "Sorry. We just didn't know that you wanted to spend some more time _with your girlfriend."_ Akiza and Yusei gasped. It was the first time, in front of everyone, that they had been referred to as boyfriend and girlfriend. Sure, Martha and Akiza's parents had joked about it, but this time, it was serious.

Yusei smiled and put an arm around Akiza and knew he could use this as a good moment. "Well thank you Crow. I'd be more than happy to spend more time with Akiza." Akiza caught on and followed his lead. "And I'd be more than happy to spend time with _my boyfriend _Yusei." They both looked at one another and smiled at their teamwork. "Come on Akiza. Lets keep looking," Yusei offered and they both continued to look. Jack and Crow frowned at how well they had played that.

Finally, after five minutes, they found the perfect card to add to her deck. "Wait a minute Akiza," Yusei said as she paid for it, "Let me use it." Akiza was stunned. "Let me use it in my duel," Yusei explained, "And let me prove that our decks working together can work." Akiza nodded and gave it to him, once she got the receipt. Jack and Crow then came up to them. "So you ready to duel?" Jack asked confidently. Yusei shook his head.

"Not quite, Akiza and I have to make our deck." Crow tiled his head. "Our deck?" he asked and Akiza nodded. "That's right! Our deck! It's Yusei _and _Akiza's deck." Again, Yusei and Akiza looked at one another and smiled proudly. This was going to be fun. And the thought of combining their decks sounded like an inedible bonding feeling. When they got back to the garage, Yusei and Akiza quickly took out their decks and started looking through them.

As they looked, they found some cards that were good and they didn't know the other one had. When they put their cards together, the twins and Dexter looked on. Dexter felt guilty, as he had started this whole mess with him bringing his deck to the card shop. On top of that, the twins felt as though they were useless in the whole thing. However, they did enjoy seeing Yusei and Akiza working together. Finally, Luna decided to come over, even as Yusei and Akiza were well into their thoughts.

"Um...Yusei," Luna said and the couple looked up. "What is it Luna?" Yusei asked. "Um...would it be all right if..." She looked back at her brother and Dexter. "If we helped out?" Yusei looked at Akiza, who nodded. Yusei did as well. "Sure thing," he replied and then spoke to all of them, "Leo! Dexter! Do you wanna help us build this deck and beat Jack?" Leo stood up.

"Yeah, because then Jack will throw a hissy fit and it'll be hilarious! Right Dexter?" Dexter looked down. "Um...yeah. I guess," he replied plainly. Leo frowned. "Come on Dex! Don't you wanna beat Jack? Especially since it has to be a standing duel, with Yusei's Runner gone, and we'll get to see Jack go crazy!" Dexter looked up as Yusei and Akiza walked over to him. "Yeah...but..."

"But what?" Akiza asked. Dexter looked at the four of them and frowned. "I feel as though I caused this whole mess. I mean, I was the one to bring my deck to the card shop. Yami wanted to look at it and he then said that he wanted to have a similar deck to his new one." Yusei smiled. "Yeah, but that's a compliment Dexter. And besides, making this new deck has brought Akiza and I much closer together." Dexter felt even worse.

"So...us helping would only spoil that?" Dexter concluded. Yusei shook his head. "No. Of course not. In fact, it would bring the five us closer and better as friends." Yusei reached out and put a hand on Dexter's shoulder. "And I mean it when I say that your my friend Dexter. Really I do." Dexter looked Yusei in the eyes and then at Leo, Luna, and then Akiza. He finally smiled. "Well...if you guys all feel that way, then how could I refuse?" Leo and Luna smiled.

"Of course we do Dexter," Luna replied. "And I feel the same," Akiza added, "Now lets build this deck!" The four of them cheered and then got ready on making the perfect deck.

Later, Jack stood outside with his duel disk on. Leo, Luna, Akiza, Dexter, and Yusei all came out. Yusei smiled as he put the new deck into the holder. "So, you ready to prove that one type deck is the way to go?" Jack asked. Yusei shook his head. "No way. Besides, this might have Akiza's monsters with mine, but it also has Leo, Luna, and Dexter's spirit fused within it too." Jack rolled his eyes. "Are you really going to give me another friendship and bonds speech?" Yusei laughed.

"No, but I sure will prove to you that five minds beat one arrogant one." Jack growled. "All right! That's enough!" Both duelists got ready, said, "Lets duel!", and the duel began.

After a couple turns, Jack was already laughing and smiling. Worse yet, he was smirking at Yusei and making sly remarks."Admit it Yusei!" Jack shouted, "Your deck is worthless. You can barely summon a monster, let alone a combo, because your cards conflict with one another." Yusei looked at his hand and didn't want to admit he was right.

"Come on Yusei!" Leo shouted. "You can do it!" Luna added. Dexter and Akiza were quiet as they watched. Yusei knew that Jack's smack talk meant nothing to him, but the outcome of the duel did. He wanted to let Dexter know that what happened earlier today was not his fault or a bad thing. On top of that, he wanted to show that his contributions lead him to victory.

Most of all, though, Yusei wanted to show Akiza just how great her deck was. Sure, a victory would also show that Yusei had a good deck as well. However, if Akiza and his deck are fused together, they made an awesome, unstoppable force, even against the number two ranked duelist in the world. Although he couldn't say it here or now, Yusei wanted Akiza to know that she was the greatest duelist in his eyes and that together, with this deck, their greatness put together could defeat all evil and foes. Including if that opponent was Jack Atlas.

In the middle, was Yami and Jaden. Neither one had a dog in the fight, but both wanted to see a great duel. They both had to listen Jack tell them all about his past and future glory, as Yusei and his friends built the deck. They were both starting to realize how Crow got so annoyed with Jack. If he ever got to the top, they both knew his head would be the size of another planet and they hoped Yusei achieved his goal by then.

As Yusei drew his next card, his face lite up. Jack suddenly became nervous as Yusei started his move. First, he played a trap. Then, he got to summon one monster to the field. Then, Yusei used it's special ability to get another one from his graveyard. Leo, Luna, Akiza, and Dexter all knew where this was going. "I summon Stardust Dragon!" Yusei shouted and his dragon roared to life.

Yami and Jaden smiled, as it was the first time since their duel that they got to see it in action. As Yusei was forced to finish his move, he wasn't satisfied. He wanted to bring another powerful monster to the game and not rely just on his old bag of moves. As Jack tired to attack with Red Dragon Archfiend, Yusei called a trap that not only stopped the attack, but let Stardust attack him directly. Jack played a trap as well, letting the damage be cut in half. Still, Yusei smiled at the winning move of his.

Once Jack made a final card being put face down, Yusei drew his card. He then growled as it wasn't the card he wanted. He looked out on the field and knew he had to make a move, even if there would be consequences later. He played a trap, taking all of Jack's monsters out of play. With that in mind, Yusei had a wide open attack to Jack's life points. Yusei then put his duel disk and cards by his hips.

"I end my turn," he replied.

Leo's eyes were huge. "What is he doing? He could have brought Jack down to only 250 life points left! Why didn't he attack?" Jack wondered the exact same thing. "What are you doing Yusei! Don't be a wimp!" Yusei smiled. "I'm not," he replied, "You do have a card facedown." Jack rolled his eyes. "So what? You took all of my monsters off of my field, so you could do what? Nothing? How stupid are you? I know you're not even close to being a so called 'genius', even though some morons think you are. However, I know you're not dumb enough to not attack when my field is wide open."

Yusei shrugged. "I end my turn, now make your move." Jack growled and knew Yusei was up to something. He decided to play cautiously. He put a monster in defense mode and ended his turn. When Yusei got to draw, his face lit up. 'It's Akiza's new card!' he thought. He saw the card and knew what he would do. First, he got a smaller monster out. "I then play this card!" he shouted and Akiza smiled as she saw the new card she had bought. It let Yusei bring out another smaller monster. Combined, it was enough for a great move and Yusei was excited. He couldn't wait to say the words that would be coming out of mouth.

"Akiza once got to summon my monster onto the same field as her Black Rose Dragon. Now, I get to to the same, with her best monster onto the same field as mine! I summon Black Rose Dragon!" Everyone smiled as big as Yusei, but Jack only smiled in evil. "Yeah, but I play my trap! This card lets me get rid of the card you just summoned." Yusei smiled.

"However, I play my trap, which means I can bring that monster right back." Jack was shocked. "What?" he asked and Yusei smiled. "Now, I use one the monsters', that I used to summon Black Rose Dragon, special ability. It makes your monster in defense mode switch to attack mode." Jack's monster had much less defense points than attack, as he had his usual "power" deck. It was now time for Yusei to do what he always wanted to do when he made this deck. He looked at the twins and Dexter, but his main eyes were on Akiza's. They both nodded as if they both knew what was to come.

"Now Black Rose Dragon and Stardust Dragon! Attack Jack and destroy both his monster and the rest of his life points!" Black Rose Dragon and Stardust Dragon combined their attack into a giant ball of light. Jack closed his eyes as it flew towards him and covered him up. Yami and Jaden both smiled and stood, as well as everyone else. Jack's life points hit zero and everyone cheered.

Everyone went over to Yusei, except Jack as he laid in the dirt in disgust. Yusei and Akiza kept their eyes locked to one another as she approached. "Akiza," Yusei said as he stuck out his hand. "Yusei," Akiza said as he put her hand with her's. Akiza then added her hand and Yusei added his. However, both knew what they really wanted. They quickly let go and wrapped one another in a hug.

"Great duel Yusei. You were amazing!" Akiza complimented him. "Yeah, but your help and deck is what pushed me through it all." Leo frowned. "Hey! We helped too! You know?" Yusei smiled as he let go of Akiza and ruffled Leo's hair. "I know you did," he replied, "All of your help was worth it." Luna and Dexter both smiled as Jack finally came over.

"Well...you won Yusei. Congratulations." Yusei and him shook hands on great duel. "Well Yami, do you think you'll have two decks combined into your new pro league deck?" Yami shrugged. "Actually, I want it to only focus on Dexter's type of monsters." Jack frowned. "What? But this whole duel was to prove which deck was better!" he shouted. Yami nodded.

"I know, but didn't you say to me once Yusei that Luna had some plant monsters in her deck? So it can be like Akiza's?" Yusei looked at Luna, who blushed. "Well yeah. Akiza was such a good role model for me, so I modeled my new deck after her's." Akiza smiled. "And what about Leo?" Akiza asked knowing the answer. Leo became kind of shy. "Well...I did put some cards that were modeled after Yusei's deck into my old one. So, I made and modeled my new deck after Yusei's." Yusei smiled.

"So," Yami replied, "Leo made his after Yusei's. Luna's after Akiza's. My new deck will be like Dexter's, so that means." Everyone looked over at Jaden. "So Jaden," Crow said as he leaned on his right shoulder, "Who's it gonna be that you're modeling after? Me or Jack?" Jack turned to him. "That's easy! It's gonna be me!" he shouted. As Jack and Crow bickered, Yusei had something really important to Akiza.

"Akiza, since those guys are speaking of decks for the pro league, I want you to know something." Akiza was intrigued. "I would use this very deck if I had decided to go pro. It may have some disadvantages, but once I got one card, the floodgate of possibilities opened. Not to mention..." He took her hand. "It was great to see cards in your deck with mine. We're a pretty amazing team." Akiza nodded.

"But we'll always be number one? Right?" Yusei nodded and the two of them smiled as their other friends, Leo, Luna, Dexter, Yami, and Jaden looked on. Jack and Crow started to roll around in the dirt, as the sun behind them set.

**A/N: I hope people are not disappointed with the duel. I'm not good with the card names, so that's why I didn't name any of them (outside of the main monsters). If you are upset, I hope you'll forgive me!  
**

**I'm really happy that so many people are reading this story! You guys and gals are awesome!**


	8. Splashing Second Date

**Chapter 8!  
**

**Bentstua: Glad you enjoyed the combined deck. It was a weird, but powerful combo. It'll be addressed some more in the next Chapter. **

**Flame-Metal-Heart: I'll do my best! Thanks for the review!**

**Eunice Pacheco: So happy you found it epic! It's all right if you couldn't review! I'm just happy that you want to read it.**

**A/N: I hope this Chapter will not disappoint!**

As Yusei and Akiza looked on, along with everyone else, it dawned on Akiza that they never planned their next date yet. "Hey Yusei," Akiza said as they watched Jack and Crow still argue, "Lets go inside." Yusei nodded as Leo, Luna, Dexter, and Yami followed. When they got inside, Yusei sat down next to Akiza on the sofa. "So..." Akiza started, not really sure how to bring the subject up, "How do you wanna do this?" Yusei was baffled. "I...I mean," Akiza replied to herself, "Go on a second date?"

Yusei smiled. "Oh yeah. I totally forgot. What do you wanna do Akiza?" Akiza looked down, embarrassed by the fact that he was letting her decide. "Well...how about you pick the place we go out to," she suggested, "Because I picked the first place, then you should get to pick the second date." Yusei nodded. "All right, but just one question." Akiza asked him what is was.

"How fancy should it be? I've never done this before, so I just wanted to know." Akiza smiled. "Just pick a place that's okay with you. I don't need to go to a fancy resturant that costs a lot of money and, don't worry Yusei, I'll pay for everything." As they watched, Jaden came inside. He looked at Yami and he looked back at him. They knew Akiza was rich, but she was going to pay for everything yet again? Yusei realized this too.

"Are...are you sure?" Yusei asked, "At least let me pay for something." Akiza shook her head. "No way Yusei. I want you to just sit back, relax, and enjoy yourself. After all, I enjoy spending time with you as much as you enjoy spending time with me." Yusei looked rather bashful. "I know," he replied, "But I feel sort of guilty that you have to pay for everything." Akiza chuckled. "But you do enjoy it right?" Yusei quickly became concerned and tried to dodge her question.

"Um...well...no...you see..." Akiza full on laughed. "Yusei. It's all right. I know you don't have a lot of money. Heck, I know you're going to bed at night with your tummy rumbling. Besides, I don't mind paying for it, just as long as one thing happens." Yusei quickly became serious. "And what is that?" he asked. Akiza smiled.

"That you really want to be going out with me."

Yusei gasped quietly, to just himself and Akiza. "Akiza, of course I do! You always know just how to make me smile, laugh, and you know me so well. Sometimes, it scares me at how good you are." Akiza closed her eyes and took in what he had to say. "Yusei, that's very sweet of you. Thank you." Yusei breathed a sigh of relief. He had said something both really sweet and heartfelt. Akiza got up. "Do you want me to pick you up at seven on Friday?" she asked. Yusei looked at Jaden, Yami, the twins, and Dexter. They all tried to give him a nod. "Yes. That'd be great Akiza!" Akiza smiled. "All right. Come on you guys," Akiza said, noting to the three children still there, "Lets go home." They all headed for the door and Yusei quickly ran over to them. He gave the three of them hugs and then gave Akiza a firm, big hug. They both smiled at one another and thanked each other for the hug. Yusei stayed behind as the four of them left with goodbyes and waves.

As Yusei went back to his chair, Yami went up to him. "So Yusei, what are you gonna do for this date? Where are you gonna go?" Yusei sighed. "I have no idea," he replied, "And I'm scared Akiza won't like it." Jaden snapped his fingers. "What if you went to a all you can eat buffet? That way, Akiza has lots of choices." Yusei shook his head. "Yeah, but I don't want her thinking I'm a pig." Jaden laughed. "I'd rather be considered a pig on food than the other kind of pig."

Still, Yusei was worried and Yami noticed easily. "Now Yusei, if you're nervous about going to a buffet, maybe you should buy Akiza a gift." Yusei smiled. "Hey yeah! That's a great idea! I'll buy her one of those cheap cards."

"Did someone say something about buying cheap cards?" Jack asked as Crow and himself came inside from their argument. "Why is there so much dirt by your groins?" Yusei asked. "We were trying to stuff rocks in it," Crow replied, "Because Jack thought it would give him an edge in our disagreement." Jack frowned. "Hey, the fight wouldn't have lasted as long if you would have let me just grab your pants and shove them in there." Yusei cringed at the thought and decided to change the subject.

"Anyways, I'll just buy her a simple card, without the words, say she's really great, and there you go." Yami rolled his eyes. "No Yusei, when I said buy her a gift, I meant like a stuffed animal or something like that." Yusei shook his head. "What if Akiza doesn't like stuffed animals? What if the date goes horrible and every time she looks at it, she thinks about that terrible date." Yami sighed.

"Yusei, when you're dating, you sometimes have to take risks. This is one of those times. Just go out and buy her something nice." Yusei groaned. "All right. All right. I'll get her some clip on earrings." Jaden shook his head. "Nah. Too high. Just get her a stuffed animal. People love them." He then eyed someone else in the room. "Especailly Jack." Jack frowned.

"Hey! Mr. Huggles was the best bear ever along with Happy Face, Love of Steel, and Boopy Bear." Yami's eyebrows rose. "Wait! You had more?" he asked. Jack nodded. "Yes and they were all perfect." Crow chuckled. "Like when you made that Captain Stuffy movie that we were all forced to watch?" he asked, "I think Martha actually recorded it."

"No!" Jack shouted as Crow went to phone, "Don't you dare call Martha and tell her to show that film!" As Jack and Crow ran away, Yusei knew that he might have to figure out what a girl might like. Since Yami and Jaden aren't girls, as much as they were trying to help, Yusei knew he should probably call Martha, and ask for advice. When he got on the phone, Martha was sitting comfortably in her rocking chair. She was taking a light nap, as the phone rang.

She snapped out of her daze and went up to it, seeing it was the guys that were calling. "Hello Yusei, how are things going?" Martha gasped. "You never did tell me how your date went? Did you tell Akiza that you love her..." Yusei instantly closed his mouth and blushed like crazy. "Martha! I don't want to talk about that stuff just yet. Can..." He paused. "Can I just come over to talk to you?" Martha nodded. "That'd be fine Yusei. Just ask Zora for her car and come right over."

Yusei nodded. Martha knew certain things about Yusei, and his feelings for Akiza, that he just didn't feel comfortable about talking with the guys around. He looked over his shoulder and found Yami and Jaden making small talk. He said goodbye to Martha and then headed for the door, to ask Zora for use of her vehicle. "Yusei! Where are you going?" Crow asked in a rush.

"To Martha's house," he replied. Crow's face become a panicked one, "Please tell her no! Please!" Yusei looked at him confused. "Um...okay," he replied, not sure about what he was talking about. "Thank you," Crow replied and then Yusei waved goodbye to him, Yami, and Jaden. He went across the street and Zora was more than happy to give him the keys. As Yusei got in, he had to admit that it was much more cozy than his Duel Runner. When he turned the car on, a small area on the dashboard told him that there were airbags around him.

'I never got that kind of safety before,' he thought as he finally put the car into drive and then headed off. After making just a few turns, Yusei got to go across the bridge that connected both cities. He smiled as he went over the river below. He didn't have to go far, as it was only a few quick turns and he had Martha's house in front of him. The light inside was on, as well as the outside, but he didn't need the outside one, as Martha opened the door for him. "Yusei! Come on in!" Martha encouraged him. The door shut and Martha stood there.

"Aren't you going to give me a hug?" she asked. Yusei sighed and went up to her, wrapping both arms around her. "It's so good to get that. You haven't given that to me in a long time, probably since the guys have always been around." Yusei headed for the living room. "Yeah," he replied and Martha followed him. When they got there, Yusei sat down, and knew he'd better start talking about the date. He did and told her a few details that he didn't tell the guys.

Like, how nervous he was just talking to her, and how he could barely think straight. She was a wonderful fully grown woman and Yusei knew that he wanted her to play a very important role in his life. However, he wanted to be sure that she felt the same way. When he finished up, Martha smiled, and sipped her coffee. Yusei looked away as he finished.

"And now we want to go on a second date," he noted. Martha smiled as she set her glass down. "So you wanna go on a second date, but don't know where to go?" Yusei nodded. "And you also want to buy her something, but worry that it will blow up in your face?" Yusei nodded again. "Well...I think the guys have the right idea." Yusei nodded, before realizing what she said. "Wait what?"

"Yusei, this Jaden and Yami might not have much dating experience. Maybe they do. I don't know. However, a buffet sounds just fine with me. Besides, you should try to make sure you have a variety of places to go. Not to mention that getting her a stuffed animal is also a great idea. Maybe she loves them as much as you do." Yusei closed his eyes. "Yeah..." he replied slowly and shyly. "I still have two boxes full of them from when you were little," Martha noted and Yusei knew all about that.

"Oh...oh yeah," Yusei replied, "Crow told me to tell you, 'no.' I don't know what he meant by that, but..." Martha interrupted him. "I know what he means Yusei," she replied as she waved her hand, "Tell him that I'm still doing it and, if he doesn't like it, I'll give it to his orphans to look at." Yusei didn't get it, but promised he would relay the information. He then went back on topic.

"So, what do you think I should buy her? By stuffed animal I mean?" Martha smiled. "Just get her a nice bear or something like that," she replied, "Or a puppy. Those are good too." Yusei agreed and he suddenly saw Martha dig into her purse. "Here," Martha noted as she stuck out a hundred dollar bill. Yusei stared at it. "Martha, what's this for?" Yusei asked. Martha smiled.

"Its for the stuffed animal and your date," she replied, "Not to mention a few other things." Yusei shook his head. "No Martha." He then looked at her and she brought the money closer to him. Yusei suddenly changed his tone. "Well...are you sure?" Martha smiled. "Of course," she replied and Yusei took the money. Martha then stood up and motioned to Yusei, to make him stand up. "Now go out there and make Akiza your wife," she added as she put her hands on his shoulders. Yusei sighed and turned red. He knew it would still be a few dates before he could even think about that.

When Yusei got home, Jack was walking by the front door. "Hey, where did you go?" he asked, "And why'd you take Zora's car." Yusei rubbed his head with hand. "I went to Martha's," he answered back and Jack looked nervous. "Um...did you tell her 'no?'" Yusei didn't get it. "Um...she told me that she was going to do it and, if Crow doesn't like it, she'll give it to his orphans to look at." Jack looked away. "What did she say about me?" he asked. "She didn't say anything about you," Yusei replied, still not getting what Jack and Crow were up to (let alone how it affected Martha).

The next day, Yusei walked outside and sighed. He had looked up places to buy a romantic stuffed animal online, but they were all websites. So, he decided to visit a place that might have it. It was a card shop and Yusei was looking for something other than the main thing available at the store. As he walked around, he sighed, as it wasn't Valentines Day. Otherwise, it would be easy to get a romantic animal, but now he found himself wondering around, looking lost.

"Caaannnn I help you sir?" a man asked as he came up to Yusei. Yusei smiled at his greeting. "Yeah. I'm actually looking for some romantic teddy bears. Do you have any?" The man nodded. "Oh yes. Right this way!" Yusei followed him to another section of the store. It suddenly got more red and Yusei spotted some heart shaped cut outs.

"So, is this for your wife?" the man asked. Yusei instantly bit his lip and turned red. "Uh...no. It's for my girlfriend. We just started going out." The man nodded. "All right," he replied, "Have you known her fer very long?" Yusei nodded. "Yeah. I've known her for a few years now." The man smiled as they came to a stop in front of a large case of teddy bears. "You seem to really like her." Yusei nodded again.

"I do," he replied. The man smiled. "Maybe you wanna propose to her or let her know might marry her with this." He showed him a bear with "My wife" on the bear. Yusei felt his hair stand on end. "Um...maybe not that," he replied nicely and kindly. The man nodded. "What about this one? It's simple and easy." Yusei looked at it and read "I love you."

Yusei suddenly realized something. He had never told Akiza that he loved her. They were three strong, powerful words. But...he knew that's what he felt. He had known it for a very long time. Still, was this how he wanted to tell her? Did he want to express it with something like this? Or would it be better to tell her with a statement? Yusei decided that he might need to consider this over. "Ummm...would it be okay if I think it over? It's my first gift to her and I really want it to be perfect." The man nodded and let Yusei by himself.

Yusei knew he might be making a big deal out of nothing, but to give her a bear saying one of the strongest feelings you could feel was special. Yusei put his hands behind himself and paced back and forth. He looked around and thought to himself as he looked at all the things that were red. He instantly got an idea and smiled at the thought.

Sure enough, the date for their second date came in the blink of an eye. Yusei got ready for their trip to a buffet, so he wore something a lot less dressier than last time. A simple polo and dark blue jeans was more his stye this time around. As he got ready, there wasn't as much pomp and circumstance for this date. No Martha around to give him advice. Just a simple, everyday feel to it.

When he got to the living room, the guys just looked at him and told him he looked good. Yusei then went back to the bathroom and wanted to be sure that he still looked good for himself. Even with Akiza finding him cute, he could never feel totally confident. Maybe it was by the fact that Akiza could have any guy, and not just by her looks.

Suddenly, the front door had been knocked on. All the guys got up and let Yusei go get it. Yusei took a deep breath and stared at the door. After a moment, he leaned forward and opened the door. There stood Akiza in a modest pink shirt and light pants. She smiled at him and Yusei felt his breath taken away just by seeing it. "Hey Yusei! Ready to go?" Yusei swallowed once and mentally told himself to wake up.

"Yeah. Of course," he replied. He took some folded directions from his pocket. "I've got the directions right here." Akiza nodded. "Great. Lets go." Yusei shut the door. "Wait a minute," Akiza said before they started walking. Yusei stopped and Akiza reached over, taking his hand with hers. "Is this okay?" Yusei tightened his grip. "Of course," he replied and they walked down the street hand in hand.

As they walked, Yusei looked around the city. "It sure is a beautiful city isn't?" Akiza turned to him. "Yeah. Not too big, but not too small either. It's nice." Yusei suddenly felt the need to ask a question. "Do you...think you'll want to live here?" Yusei mentally held his breath, as he knew his answer to the question. Akiza looked around as they stopped at a light.

"I think so," she replied and Yusei felt he could breath again. "I think it's a really nice city and it would be nice to have some place that I could be downtown, close to work." Yusei agreed, but suddenly realized he had to pay attention to his directions. "Okay, lets take a right," he replied and took Akiza by the hand. They walked a few more blocks, having Akiza talk a little bit about school as they walked.

"Okay. We're here," Yusei said and they got to a Chinese buffet. Akiza turned to Yusei. "I like Chinese food," she said as she looked at him. Yusei felt a wave of relief go from his chest. "You're all right that it's a buffet right?" Akiza nodded. "Sure, why would that be a problem?" Yusei let go of her hand. as he felt nervous. He rubbed his forearm with his hand. "I'm...worried that you wouldn't want to see me pig out a little." Akiza couldn't hold it in and laughed.

"Are you kidding? That would be fun!" She took his hand again. "Come on! Lets go inside!" She pulled Yusei, who wasn't ready for it. "Woah!" he shouted and they rushed inside. After getting a seat and ordering drinks, they were allowed to go pick what they wanted. Yusei was a bit embarrassed about what to pick first. He saw Akiza head towards the salad bar and he headed over there with her.

"Do you want some salad?" Akiza asked. Yusei nodded and Akiza picked up some lettuce and put it on his plate. After getting some things for herself, she noticed that Yusei had a heaping pile of other salad toppings. "You're going to eat all of that?" she asked. Yusei looked shyly at her. "I don't normally get salad back at home." Akiza understood and let Yusei go back to the table to dig in. She was more slow with her choices, until she got back to the dining room. When she sat down, Yusei was about halfway on his salad.

"You look like you're enjoying your food," Akiza noted. Yusei looked up. "Yuah I mph," Yusei said with his mouth full. Akiza rolled her eyes. "Yusei. Don't talk with your mouth full." Yusei instantly swallowed and was embarrassed. "Sorry," he quickly apologized. Yusei quickly started looking around himself and wiped himself with a napkin. He watched as Akiza ate her food, unlike him, who was shoveling it like he was a dump truck.

Akiza was about to talk, when Yusei stood up. "I'm going to get more food," Yusei announced and walked away. She shrugged off the little conversation and went back to eating her food.

This time around, Yusei felt as though he could make his own decisions and looked around at the food. He saw some food that he no idea what it was and, even with some words written above it in plain English, he still didn't get it. He walked around, until he finally found a few foods that seemed like they would be good. While he was wondering around, Akiza found herself with her plate becoming empty, and she took a few last bites of it when Yusei came back.

"Looks like you're done," Yusei noted and Akiza stood up. As she walked away, Yusei chewed his food slowly. They had barely talked since they came in and Yusei was kicking himself for eating way too fast. As Yusei sat and kicked himself, Akiza found herself looking a bit longer at some foods that she had never heard of. She walked around and studied a few of them with weird looking sauces. She finally scooped up a few of them and came back to Yusei, who despite watching how fast he ate, was almost finished with his plate.

"I'm...going to get just a little bit more," Yusei replied and Akiza took her seat.

Now, it was getting worrisome. Akiza took her seat and put her face in her hands. Was there something wrong? Did she do something wrong? Akiza bit her lip and was worried. She looked up and watched as Yusei picked out a few desserts. Akiza took a few deep breaths and finally went into her food. As Yusei was picking out a little cookie, he looked up as Akiza was sitting alone at the dinner table. Yusei knew that this date was not going well.

He went up to the table, set his plate down, and took a seat. He tried to smile as Akiza continued to look down. "So...you doing all right?" Yusei asked. "Yeah," Akiza replied as she then put some food in her mouth. Yusei sighed. "Look Akiza...I'm sorry we haven't talked very much today. Why don't we take a long walk home? We could..." Yusei was nervous to ask her. "Hold hands." Akiza looked up. "That is...as long as you want to." Akiza smiled.

"Sure Yusei. That'd be wonderful. Is there a certain place you wanted to go?" Yusei smiled back. "Yeah! Could we visit the Kabia Dome by chance?" Akiza nodded and her face became bright and full of life. Yusei suddenly felt okay to dig into his desert and he watched as Akiza finish her plate. "I'll go get some desert and then we can go," Akiza said happily. Yusei smiled as she left.

'Well played Fudo.'

Akiza came back with a few small cookies and she instantly wanted to talk. "So, have you decided what you wanna do?" Akiza asked, "By making money, I mean." Yusei shook his head. "No. Crow's getting a lot of hours at his job, but I don't know what I wanna do. I'd probably want to go to school to learn what I want to do." Akiza looked at him for a moment longer, before looking back down at her desert.

"That sounds smart," Akiza declared, "Maybe you should look at community college." Yusei nodded. "Yeah. Maybe, but I don't know how I'll pay for it." Akiza nodded. "You never know. Money can come from anywhere." Yusei looked at her baffled. What did that mean? Yusei didn't know, but watched her as she finished her meal and drink. An Asian woman came by and gave them a receipt.

"Here. Let me pay for it," Yusei replied and put out a few dollar bills. Akiza stared at them and then at Yusei. "Where did you get that?" she asked. Yusei was suddenly caught off guard. He didn't know what excuse to make and his mind went both blank and numb. "Uh...Martha gave it to me," he replied and he suddenly looked stunned once the words left his mouth.

"She did? Why did she do that?" Akiza asked. Yusei just stared at her. "Uh...We...I was..." Akiza tiled her head. "Let me guess, you guys needed money for food and couldn't afford it. Is that right?" Yusei just continued to stare. "Uh...well...yeah. That's it," he lied. Akiza smiled. "Yusei. That money was meant for you guys. Not for me. I mean...it's really nice that you'd want to do that, but I told you that I would pay for this meal myself." She gently put her hand over Yusei's hand with cold hard cash in it.

"Keep that for yourself," she replied, "I'll pay for it." Yusei watched as Akiza got out the money and he put his money back into his pocket. Akiza thanked the waitress as she gave her her money. "Oh! Here are your fortune cookies," the waitress said as she handed them each one. Akiza smiled as she picked one up. "All right! The best part of Chinese food!" Yusei watched as she picked one up and smiled as she read her fortune. Yusei opened his up and ate the cookie. He looked at the cookie and read it.

"A picture is worth a thousand words."

Yusei looked at Akiza and her smile. He felt as though seeing her happy and smiling like she was was worth a thousand words. Yusei looked as Akiza stared at him. "What does yours say?" Akiza asked. He read it out loud for her and Akiza nodded. "That's true," she replied as she stood up, "Ready to go?" Yusei looked up at her. "Yeah," he replied. He stood up and Akiza and him locked hands. They both walked out and smiled.

"So where do we go to get from the Kaiba Dome from here?" Akiza asked. Yusei looked up and around, as the stadium was viewable from the restaurant. Yusei pointed to it and they headed in that direction. As they walked, Yusei knew he had to open his mouth and not just walk. "Akiza..." he started and looked away. He looked at the puddles from earlier that morning. He then got an idea.

"Do you ever have those moments when you stare at yourself in the mirror and see all the lines in your face?" Akiza turned to him. "Yeah...why do you ask?" Yusei smiled. "Well...I want you to know that...I don't care if you have those in your face. You're...always beautiful." Akiza stopped and Yusei did too. "Yusei that's..." She closed her eyes and took it in. She reopened her eyes and looked slightly up at him. "That's so sweet. I'm glad you will find me beautiful at any age." Yusei smiled and they kept walking. "Well...of course. You are very beautiful."

Akiza was enjoying these compliments and their walked seemed to breeze by. As Akiza thanked him again, they found the Kaiba Dome standing tall right next to them. "Well...here we are," Yusei said a bit nervously. Right now was when he was going to get his gift for Akiza. He knew where it was and was going to leave her there for just a quick moment. There were lots of buildings nearby, along with people in the shops, so Yusei figured he could leave her alone for just one moment. "I...uh need to..."

Akiza quickly grabbed him by the hand and gave it a firm squeeze. "Yusei," Akiza said firmly. Yusei turned to her. "I...need to say something really really important to you." Yusei didn't know what to do, but he knew he had to hear what she had to say. Akiza let go of Yusei's hand and put both of them on his shoulders. "Yusei..." Akiza took a deep breath and looked back up. Yusei could tell she was nervous and he put his hands onto her hourglass stomach. Akiza took a deep breath, as though she was going to give the biggest speech of her life.

"Yusei, here...was where we met for the first time, face to face, without my mask on." Yusei nodded and smiled, trying to calm her down. "Yes Akiza. And that day, I still found you to be beautiful. I know you were still intimidating and I know you were still under..." Yusei frowned as he had to say _his name. _"Sayer's control. However, I still thought you were beautiful." Akiza smiled. "Yeah and I still thought you were handsome." Yusei was surprised and felt his cheeks turn pink.

"Anyways," Akiza said and restarted the little speech, "Here is where you also changed my life. You were the first person to see the real me Yusei. Not because of my powers. Not just by what I looked like or the mask I wore. The real me, inside of my heart. Yusei. You were my first real friend." Yusei tried to grin as wide as possible. "And you are always going to be the best person in the world I can turn to. You've always been my best friend in the whole world Yusei."

Yusei felt his breath being caught. Akiza thought he was her best friend! This was a big deal, as that kept, and put a lot of responsibilities onto him. At the same time, he felt his heart swell with pride at the fact. He felt as though they now shared an even better friendship and bond than before. Yusei felt as though what he was suppose to be doing right now wasn't important. He forgot about getting Akiza's gift and both were thinking about another special gift.

Yusei leaned forward and Akiza did too. They both knew where this was leading. It was so perfect. The place where they really got to meet face to face. The place where Yusei first helped turn her life around. And now it could be a new memory. A first kiss. One of the biggest and romantic moments in a person's life. It wasn't just a first kiss for the couple. It was their first kiss period. It was going to be a fireworks explosion, biggest, happiest moment they could experience for a long long time. They both closed their eyes, giving way to the perfect moment.

Out of nowhere, a car screeched around the corner. It slammed into a giant puddle, in a dip in the road. Water flew from the wheels and the splash was like a romantic wave. Except, this wave had eyes, and it was going for Yusei and Akiza. The water felt over towards them, getting Yusei slightly in the legs, but getting most of it on Akiza. Their eyes opened up as if they had just felt an amazing rush. Only this was the opposite kid of rush. A bad one.

They both looked around, as their faces were only a breath's distance away. They both looked down and Akiza gasped loudly. "Oh no!" she shouted and Yusei looked worryingly at her. "Akiza! What's wrong?" Yusei looked down at the bottom of her pants. They were soaked. "Akiza! Are you all right?" Akiza nodded. "Yes, but my pants are not." Yusei and Akiza both sighed. The perfect moment ruined.

"Well...I guess we'd be better off going home," Akiza noted and they started walking. They made their way back to the restaurant and then did Yusei's directions backwards. As they headed home, Yusei felt he should apologize. "Akiza. I'm sorry," he replied, "It's my fault that we were standing there." Akiza turned to him. "What are you talking about Yusei? You weren't at fault. You weren't that out of control driver. You obey the speed limits and the laws. You're not at fault."

Yusei nodded. "And you're not at fault either Akiza." Akiza understood and they finally saw the house. The guys listened in as they walked. "Akiza. Are you sure you'll be all right?" Yusei asked. "Yes Yusei," Akiza insisted, "Don't worry about it." Crow frowned as he listened in on the door. "Oh crap! Yusei sounds like he screwed up or something big time." He listened in some more.

"Listen Akiza. I'm sorry you're all wet and I hope you will be all right." Akiza just shook her head. "It's just water Yusei and if you're sorry then I'm sorry too." Yusei quickly hugged her. "All right Akiza. I still had a good dinner and I'm so happy I got to go out with you." Akiza hugged him back, before leaning back. "Your welcome Yusei and I'll be sure to see you soon." She looked down as Yusei opened the door. "And I'll be sure to not be as wet."

Crow's eyes widened. 'Water? Wet?' he thought, 'Maybe Yusei got her shirt wet and I can see her breasts!' He quickly leaned over as Yusei opened the door. "Did someone say, 'Wet and water?'" he asked. Crow raced towards Akiza and tripped on the welcome mat. He fell at Akiza's feet. "Crow, what are you doing?" Yusei asked as he laid on the ground. Crow looked up and could barely see Akiza's head, with her chest blocking his view.

"Wow! Nice view," he noted. Akiza frowned and spotted a puddle in front of her. "Hey Crow, If you wanna see something wet, it's going to be your face you pervert." She then kicked some water in his face and turned around. She headed home and Yusei just laughed, along with Yami, Jaden, and Jack. Crow just rested his head on the pavement and groaned.

Back near the Kaiba Dome, Martha and Zora waited in Zora's car. Yusei was supposed to drop Akiza off at the Kaiba Dome, come get the bear from them, and then walk home. When Yusei didn't show up, Martha and Zora became worried. "I wonder where they are?" Martha asked and she called Yusei. He quickly told her what happened and they hanged up.

"Well, Yusei said the date went well, but what do we do with this?" Martha questioned as she held the bear. Zora chuckled. "He could give it to her at another date, but he might forget about it, so what if we returned it for him? He gave his the receipt and the bag." Martha nodded. "What if we return it and give him one back that says, 'My wife', on it?" They both laughed at the thought.

"Or..." Zora replied, "We could return it and instead show them all that video you showed me." Martha and her exchanged glances, as the two older women liked the idea.

**A/N: I had an original idea for this Chapter, but after not being able to really write for a couple of days, totally forgot about it. Now that I remembered it, it's part of this mini two-parter.  
**

** Hope you enjoyed the Chapter! Thanks for all your support!**


	9. Second Chance Affection

**Chapter 9!  
**

**Bentstua: Sorry you were so upset over the non kiss! I'm glad that you enjoyed the ending though!**

** alanazteca: I'm so glad I've been able to change your mind and I'm glad some of the stuff is relatable. That's my goal with a lot of my stories because, now that Yusei and the gang are done saving the world, they'll act less serious and more normal. I hope you'll keep reading and enjoying the story! **

**A/N: Here's the new Chapter and I hope you'll enjoy it!**

As Yusei sat down, he thought about what could have been. How close he was to having Akiza's lips on his. He knew he couldn't tell anyone right now, so he went to his room and sat on the bed. He looked down and thought about it. He kept replaying the image in his head. How he had closed his eyes, along with Akiza, and they were only a breath away from kissing. As Yusei sat and kept replaying what he could have done instead, he heard a knock at the door.

"May we come in?" Jaden asked and Yusei sighed. "Yeah. Sure," he replied unhappily. The door opened and Yami and Jaden walked inside. "Hey Yusei, what's wrong?" Jaden questioned as Yami shut the door, "I thought the date went great." Yusei nodded. "It did, but..." He looked away. "What is it?" Yami asked. Yusei turned to them. "Uh..." He bit his lip. "Promise me you won't tell Jack and Crow this." They both agreed.

"You see, just as Akiza and I got our pants wet, we were about to..." Jaden tilted his head. "About to what? Give her your gift?" Yusei shook his head. "Kiss." Jaden and Yami gasped. "Wait, you two were about to kiss?" Yami clarified. Yusei nodded. "Yeah. See, I didn't tell you guys this, but as I was going to get the stuffed animal, Akiza said that there was something really important she had to say to me. She told me that I was her best friend in the whole wide world. We recalled the first time we were at the Kaiba Dome and how we dueled and all that stuff." Yusei sighed. "We closed our eyes and were about to touch, when we were splashed by that stupid driver." Yami and Jaden looked at one another.

"Well...look at the bright side," Jaden noted, "At least that shows that she wants to kiss you. I mean, unless she was able to signal for a car to come around the corner, she obviously must like you enough to want to kiss you." Yusei nodded. "And..." Yami added, "Maybe you'll find an even better time to share your first kiss again sometime." Yusei shook his head as he stood up.

"No! This moment was perfect! She told me I was her best friend and, just before that, I told her that she would be beautiful no matter what age she was." Jaden raised an eyebrow. "At any age?" Yusei looked at him, "Yes! And it's so true! She'll be beautiful even if she lives to be one hundred!" Yusei put his hands in his hair. "Ugh! This was the perfect moment and it was ruined! Just my luck!" He stuffed his hands in his pockets with authority.

"It was wonderful to be all alone, no one really around us, we had everything. Now..." Yusei looked at the ground. "Our first kiss, if we ever have one, will be at some stupid time. It won't be alone, we won't get to say something romantic, and it'll just happen in a flash. We'll probably not even remember it." Jaden put a hand on his shoulder, once he walked over to him. "Don't worry bro. This is your first kiss. I'm sure you'll both remember it for a very long time."

"Especially since you love each other," Yami noted. Yusei sighed as he looked down again. "Yeah. I hope so. I mean, I'll try my best." Yusei tried to agree with them, even if he wasn't as certain as they were.

The next morning, Yusei still hadn't gotten over the missed opportunity. He wished he would have had his hands on Akiza's cheeks and they could have kissed, even with the water. As he came downstairs, Yami and Jaden could see that he was still depressed. "Come on Yusei," Jaden noted, "Are you still upset?" Yusei nodded. Yami put his head in his hand. "Come on Yusei. Why don't we go to the card shop to cheer you up? Besides, Jaden and I need some advice on our new decks." Yusei slumped over as he got up and followed them to the card shop.

When Yusei got there, he wasn't in the mood for cards. His deck was fine and there was much more important things in life to worry about. Like Akiza's happiness for example. Yami and Jaden watched as Yusei looked on. They both knew this wasn't going to cheer him up. Yami tried to call Leo. Both knew that Dexter was nervous around Yami and talking to him about his deck. So, Yami decided to help Dexter out. Yami asked Leo instead what cards Dexter played and Leo recalled a couple for him. Yami then headed in that direction and so did Jaden. They both decided to make this visit as short as they could and only got a couple of cards.

"We'll build our decks later," Yami noted as Yusei gave them money for the cards. They all thanked the workers as they walked out. When they got outside, Jaden and Yami knew they had to cheer Yusei up somehow. They both wondered what they should do. "Why don't we go to the Tops?" Jaden whispered, "Maybe Leo and Luna could cheer him up?" Yami agreed and they told Yusei to follow them.

As they walked, Jaden and Yami tried to be optimistic about Yusei's future with Akiza. "Just look at how far you've gotten," Jaden noted, "A couple weeks ago, you were too scared to go out with her on one date. Now, you've gone on two!" Jaden showed him the number two with his hand. Yusei sighed. "Yeah, but I'm not where I wanna be for our second date," he replied. Jaden and Yami looked at one another, as they stood at a corner and Yusei caught up to them.

"So, in a perfect world, what would you and Akiza be doing right now?" Jaden asked. Yusei smiled and imagined.

_Yusei imagines_

Yusei and the guys are at the garage. The door opens and Akiza comes in. "Yusei!" she cries. "Akiza!" he responds. The other guys smile as Yusei rushes up to her. "Hey Akiza!" Yusei says as he wraps his arms around her tiny middle. Yusei then gives her lots of pecks on her face. He kisses her cheeks, lips, and even her nose. Akiza laughs and enjoys it all. Finally, Yusei connects on a big kiss on the lips and Akiza returns it happily.

"Hey you guys, we're going to go out somewhere," Yusei says as he looks down at them. "Take all the time you need," Jack replies, "I'll make my own coffee for once." Yusei smiles and keeps an arm around Akiza. "You ready to go sweetie?" Yusei asks, as he called her by her cutie name. "Of course googly bear," she replies and they both head outside.

As the sun shines down on them, Yusei and Akiza stay only inches apart. "I love you so much," Yusei says as they walk. "I love you too," Akiza replies. They stop in the middle of a city block and kiss. They then rub noses together and giggle without opening their mouths. They then continue on, as the twins and Dexter round the corner. "Hey Yusei and Akiza," Luna says as she hands them flowers, "These are for you two."

"Thanks," Yusei and Akiza reply. They then sniff the flowers together. Yusei takes a flower and holds it. "Akiza, you're more beautiful than this flower. You will always be beautiful in my eyes." Akiza smiles and nods. "The same is true for you Yusei," she says as they wrap each other in a hug. They both sigh contently as they press their cheeks against one another. They both lean back and press their noses together, as they look deep into each other's eyes and smiles are on their faces.

_End Flashback_

Yami and Jaden just stared blankly at Yusei as they remained on the curb's edge. "Isn't it a little soon to be that lovey dovey?" Jaden asked. Yusei shook his head. "No way," he replied, "I want Akiza to get the utmost affection and love." Yami rolled his eyes, "Yeah, but you're acting as though you're suppose to become a married couple overnight Yusei. You said you wanted to take this relationship slow, yet you're expectations are that you should be walking down the street kissing each other. Look, my best advice is try to figure out how much affection Akiza likes. After all, it's not good if you want affection, but she doesn't." Yusei nodded, but was not sure how to figure that out.

When they got to the Tops, Leo and Luna were sitting on the couch as Leo played a video game. Luna heard the doorbell and got up to get it. When she got over to it, she smiled as she saw who was outside. When she opened it, the three men smiled. "Hey you guys," Luna greeted them, "Come on in!" They all nodded and Yami and Jaden couldn't forget how big their apartment really was.

"Man! You could fit like three garages in here," Jaden noted. Yam nodded, as they all headed for the couch. As Yusei sat down, Leo paused the game. Luna and her brother then gave Yusei a great big hug against his flat middle. Yusei smiled and put an arm around each one of them. "Hey you guys," Yusei said as he looked at them. They leaned back. "So what brings you here?" Leo asked.

Yusei was going to say, "Nothing at all." However, he then got an idea on how to get Akiza's affection level. "Um..actually, I was wondering if you could help me with something." Luna and Leo looked lost. "What do you mean?" Luna asked. "See, I'm trying to figure out how affectionate I can be with Akiza," Yusei explained Immediately, Leo and Luna frowned.

"Are you trying sleep with her?" Luna asked. "Are you trying to get around the bases?" Leo questioned. Yusei was a bit surprised that those were the first things that popped into each of their minds. "No. No," he answered, "First off, I'm not sleeping with Akiza. That's for sure." It put Luna's mind at ease. "And second, I don't even know about the bases or how I could get to them." Leo laughed.

"However, I do want to know if she would be comfortable with and..." He looked around and wasn't sure how to describe his last minute idea. He then saw their Duel Academy uniforms. "Uh...since you guys go to school with her, maybe she has said something about what she's comfortable with." Leo and Luna looked at one another. Leo nodded and Luna spoke up, almost as if Leo had given her some kind of permission.

"Well, Akiza did say that she enjoys getting affection from her parents." Yusei's face lite up. "And so, I think that would mean that you have a good shot at being really affectionate with her." Yusei was excited. He could be _really_ affectionate with Akiza? That was major breakthrough. "Well...with that in mind, would it be all right if Akiza came over for a little bit?" Leo and Luna nodded and Yusei got up.

"I'll go call her," he replied. He went to their video phone and called her. When Akiza answered, she was surprised to see Yusei. "Hey Yusei, is something wrong?" He shook his head. "No. I was just wondering if you'd like to come over? We're all here except for Jack and Crow." Akiza smiled. "All right. Sounds good." Yusei's face lit up at seeing her smile. "All right. Okay. Bye." Yusei made two fists.

"All I have to do now is make a move," he said quietly to himself.

When Akiza came, Yusei would have just about shoved everyone out of the way to get to her. Everyone watched as Yusei stayed close to the door. "Yusei, is everything all right?" Leo asked as Yusei stared intently at the door. Yusei turned to them and tried to look more relaxed. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just...waiting for Akiza, that's all." Leo leaned over to his sister and they both gave each other a look. "He must really be in love with her," he whispered to her. Luna nodded and everyone turned their attention to Yusei waiting at the door.

Yusei looked at the ground and tried to think of what he would do when she arrived. Should he give her a big hug? What about a kiss? Maybe if it was really quick, he could sneak one by her. The doorbell rang and Yusei looked up, not sure what he should. However, that didn't stop him from yelling, "I got it!" Everyone else knew that they wouldn't have answered the door, even if the person outside gave them a million dollars.

When the door opened, Yusei's face quickly relaxed. "Akiza!" he said. "Yusei," she replied. Yusei knew he had to dive in and he went for it. He quickly wrapped her in a giant hug. However, it was a surprising hug for her. "Yusei, is something wrong?" she quickly asked. Yusei leaned back. "No. I'm just..." His voice was so serious, so he tried to back it down. "Just..." His voice finally lightened. "Really happy to see you again. It's great to see you, especially at a time like this." He put an arm around her and they faced everyone else. Yusei stayed by her side and looked on, in the same direction as her.

"Come on. Why don't we go inside?" Akiza nodded, but was confused by how he was acting. On top of that, she felt his arm around her back and middle. It was different, but Akiza did like the feeling, especially since she knew it was Yusei. Leo and Luna scooted over on the couch, to make room for their two friends. Yusei turned to Akiza, who asked him, "So what are we doing?"

Yusei just stared blankly at her. "Uh..." he moaned, trying to think of something to answer with. Leo came in and saved him. "We're watching me beat the living crap out of this game!" he replied and he quickly went back to the game. Yusei just stared at the screen, not connecting the dots yet. Finally, after a moment, he realized that Leo had saved him and his behind. Yusei and Akiza then took a seat on the couch next to the twins. Yami and Jaden watched from nearby.

Once Leo and everyone else tired out of him playing, Akiza turned to Yusei yet again. "So...are we ordering pizza or something to eat? Or are we all going home for dinner?" Yusei again stared blankly at her. "Uh..." Luna closed her eyes and felt like she was going to explode! Yusei was a great duelist and knew a little about romance, but he was still very very clueless when it came to love. "We were all going to order pizza," Luna replied for him. They all turned to her. "Yeah. We'll see if we have any coupons. Come on Leo." Leo cheered. "All right pizza!"

They all watched the two young people raced off into the kitchen. Even though she never told him, Luna had to follow in her brother's footsteps. That was, in the case of saving Yusei's butt. Still, Yusei hadn't done anything really affectionate during the game, spoiling a major chance to make a move. However, he knew that the pizza could be his shining savor.

When the pizzas were ordered, Yusei decided to try doing something nice for Akiza, to help build up some opportunities. "Akiza, do you want me to get you a pop?" Akiza nodded. "What kind do you need?" Yusei asked and Akiza thought for a moment. After giving her selection, Yusei went over, and got it for her. When he came back, he sat down next to Akiza and smiled at her.

"So, is everything doing okay?" Yusei asked. Akiza nodded and took a sip from her soda. Yusei then scooted closer to her and Akiza took notice. "Is there anything else you need?" Akiza looked up and down at Yusei, looking confused. She had never had Yusei wait on her before. Yami and Jaden saw how close he was to her and tugged on their collars. "Um...no," Akiza replied and put a hand on Yusei's thigh, "But thank you though."

Yusei was a bit surprised that Akiza would put her hand on his thigh. Yusei then put his hand on top of her's, thinking it was okay to do it, because Akiza was doing it. However, it made Akiza jump. Yusei didn't seem to be able to read her emotions very well and she wasn't comfortable having her hand so close to Yusei's own private parts. "Um..." Akiza said as she looked down at where her hand was. Yusei was smiling, as though there was nothing wrong with what was going on. Yami and Jaden looked at one another.

"Um...Yusei, can we talk to you for a sec?" Yami asked. Yusei nodded and got up. "I'll be back," he said to Akiza. Yusei went over to them and Yami looked him right in the eye. "Yusei," he whispered, "You can't make Akiza rest your hand on her thigh like that! When she puts her hand on you, you don't always have to put your hand on hers. I know you like holding hands, but you don't have to always be touching her hand. Next time she does that, just let her touch you, and let it go."

Almost like a team huddle, Yusei broke away, and then sat back down. 'Okay, take two,' Yusei thought. He sat down and sipped his soda pop. "So, has your father done anything for the Senate recently?" Akiza nodded and started talking about how he wanted to help with some major projects. As Yusei nodded and tried to help contribute, he watched as Akiza put her hand behind his back. Yusei slid over, almost as if accepting it, and Akiza managed to put his hand on his opposite shoulder.

Yami and Jaden were now feeling better about Yusei's action. Having Akiza's arm around his back was a little strange, since it was usually the guy who did that. However, they both seemed comfortable, and Yusei wasn't putting Akiza into such an awkward spot. In fact, he made the smart move and show that he wanted to have her arm around him.

When the pizza came, everyone rushed to it. As they digged in and put pizza on their plates, they found their seats once again. Yusei and Akiza sat down next to one another once more and Yusei tried to copy Akiza's movements from before. He held his pizza in his handiness right and put his left arm around her back. Akiza looked up and stopped herself from taking a bite. She looked at Yusei, who looked at her confused. "Is something wrong?" Yusei asked and slowly retracted his arm.

"No," Akiza replied, now that Yusei's arm was gone, "It's just that it felt awkward having an arm around me as I ate." Yusei looked over and knew what Yami and Jaden were thinking. He didn't want another pep talk. Yusei quickly tried to gobble up his food and hope that they would leave soon. He looked around and saw Leo and Luna together, Akiza and himself together, and then Yami and Jaden. Yusei glanced at the clock and then decided that he had an idea. One that would get him out of the dog house, and help Akiza and himself.

When Akiza finally got done eating, Yusei stood up. "Do you wanna head home?" Akiza was confused. "Really? So soon?" Yusei nodded. "Yeah. There's something I wanted to talk to you about." Akiza wondered what it was, but she figured that if Yusei wanted to talk to her, it must be important." She got up and turned to the rest of them. "Yusei and I are going to be heading out early," she commented as she turned to him. Yusei nodded and they then went over to the twins and gave them hugs. They all said goodbye, but Yami and Jaden were baffled as to what Yusei was doing.

As they walked outside, Akiza looked over at him. "So, what did we need to talk about?" she questioned. Yusei looked around at all the people. "Um...could we do it when we get to your house? That way, there aren't as many people around." Akiza nodded, but started to worry about it. What if it was what happened the other night? What if Yusei didn't want to kiss her now that he knew what it was going to be like?

Akiza held onto her stomach as they walked and she felt sort of sick. She started to worry as they got closer and closer to her house. When they got there, they went to the front door. Akiza looked down nervously. As Yusei faced her, he had felt just as nervous as she did. However, he had been tossing and turning ideas in his head on how to approach this. He finally decided to just be frank and to the point.

He reached over and took both of Akiza's hands. "Akiza," he said softly. Akiza looked up at him, with the sky now a bright orange, as the sun was setting. "What is it Yusei? What's wrong?" Yusei took a deep breath as he closed his eyes. "Akiza...I..." Akiza looked closely and intently at him, trying to read his face.

"I just wanna know how affectionate I can be with you!" Yusei finally admitted. Akiza took a moment to take it all in, but she still didn't get it. "What?" she asked and Yusei repeated a similar statement as the one before. "How affectionate can I be with you?" Akiza looked confused at him. "What do you mean?" Yusei swallowed and just opened the floodgates on the subject.

"I wanna know how affectionate I can be with you!" he said for a third time and let go of her hands, "I've never been with a girl before and I don't know how comfortable you are with getting affection with me. To be honest, I want to give you a ton of affection. Lots of hugs and endless kisses..." Akiza interrupted him ."Wait! Kisses?" Yusei nodded. "Yes! I want to kiss you Akiza. I want to hold you in my arms and never let you go. I want to always be able to give you affection, no matter where we are, or what's going on. However, I don't know how to do it, when to do it, and what you are comfortable with. So...please Akiza!" Yusei leaned in forward with a desparate look on his face. "Help me! Teach and tell me what to do!"

Akiza was just flabbergasted. She had never seen Yusei looking so desperate before. She stared at him for a moment, before smiling. "Yusei," she said with a slight blush. She then took his hands again and smiled. "I'd love to be affectionate with you. To be honest, after having to spend so many years alone or without people that would give me affection, I really missed a hug or kiss or whatever. Plus..." Akiza turned crimson. "I would love to kiss you." Yusei looked on in awe.

"R...really?" Akiza nodded. "Yes. I'm not quite sure how to kiss a guy, since I've never done it before." Yusei was stunned. "Wait! You _never _kissed a guy before?" Akiza shook her head. "No, but..." She leaned in close. "I'd be more than happy to have you as my first." Yusei became nervous and embarrassed in the way she talked. It was in a low, seductive voice. "But what about doing it in public?" Yusei wondered out loud. Akiza giggled.

"I'd love to be affectionate with you in public Yusei. Little hugs and kisses are more than fine." Again, she leaned in close, liking how nervous and red she had made him before. "But when we're alone together, things could definitely get heated." Yusei felt himself almost jump out of his shoes. Akiza flat out laughed. "Well..." She looked around, "We are alone right now." Yusei became worried as to what was going to happen next.

Akiza had seen some romantic stuff in her life, at least a little more than Yusei, so she had to help guide him. She put her arms around his shoulders and Yusei slowly did the same for her. "Would it be all right if we kissed right now?" Yusei was confused. "Are you sure?" he asked, "I mean..." He looked down. "The last time we did it, it was so perfect. It was nighttime. We had just had a good dinner and a good date. We were at a romantic spot for the two of us. It was all like some kind of fairytale, only with an unhappy ending." Akiza shook her head.

"Yusei. We don't the perfect time or spot to share our first kiss. If we do that, then we might be searching for years and years for another one. Listen, I'd just be happy if I got to say that you were my first kiss. I would also be happy just to know that I got to kiss you. I've felt that way for a very long time." Yusei nodded as he looked at her. "Akiza. I feel the same way. I would love to have you as my first kiss and I would love it if I got to share such a special moment with you and only you."

Akiza smiled and started to lean forward. Yusei mentally gasped and did the same. Akiza slowly started closing her eyes and so did Yusei. Once they did, they finally closed the gap. And unlike the last time that they had tried to do this very same action, there was no distractions or interruptions. Akiza and Yusei stayed like that for a long minute. Just knowing that they got to share their first kiss with their first love was amazing.

When they finally leaned back, both gasped for air. Once they caught their breath, Akiza leaned in closer. "Yusei, that was amazing!" Yusei smiled. "I know. I feel the same way. Thank you Akiza." Akiza blushed. "Thank you Yusei." They both smiled at one another, before Yusei leaned in close. "Oh by the way," he whispered, "I'd love it if we got to be super affectionate with one another." He leaned back and Akiza nodded. "I know what you mean. I love this feeling that we're having right now, just standing here and holding you in my arms is amazing Yusei." Yusei agreed.

"I agree. So lets make a promise that we can be affectionate to one another whenever we want to." Akiza then added. "But we'll save the more intimate ones for when we are alone." Yusei nodded. "Perfect," he replied and Akiza felt exactly the same. She leaned her head on Yusei's shoulder and Yusei rested his on her shoulder.

After a few moments, Yusei's phone buzzed in his pocket. "Just ignore that," he replied. After Yusei's stopped buzzing, Akiza's started to go off as well. She leaned back. "I'll just see who it is." Yusei let go and Akiza stared at it. "It's Jack," she replied and answered. "Hello?" she asked and Jack was on the other line. "Akiza! Martha wants everyone to come over to her house. There's...something she wants us to see." Akiza thanked him for the advice and hanged up.

"Martha wants to show us all something," she replied when Yusei asked what was up. Akiza then paused for a moment. "Um..." Yusei looked worried. Not about the thing with Martha, but with Akiza. He put his arms around her. "What's wrong?" he wondered. Akiza waited a moment for her thoughts to come together. "How affectionate should we be at Martha's?" she questioned.

Yusei smiled. "Just save it for later," he replied, "Otherwise Martha will be all over us." Akiza agreed and they headed back towards the garage, so they could all ride in Zora's car.

Back at the twins, Jack relayed the same information to Yami, Jaden, Leo, and Luna. "All right, we'll be there." Yami hanged up. "Well, lets get going," he replied. "All right," Jaden replied, "Let me just finish up these last few slices." As Jaden ate, Yami decided to head for the bathroom. As he did, he noticed a small bookcase. He looked through it and found one pink book, that really stood out. He picked it up and looked at the cover.

It had words like "Keep Out!", "Do Not Open!", and "Private!" written all over it. Yami didn't understand what it was, so he read the title. "Luna's Dairy?" he replied, "Hmm. I wonder if I can borrow this?" As Yami put it back, he heard Leo shout to him. "Come on Yami! Lets go!" Yami quickly put the book in safely. "Coming!" he replied and headed for the door.

When they all got back to the garage, Yusei and Akiza were waiting for them. "Jack and Crow are going there themselves, so we'll all ride together." Yusei looked at Akiza and she looked at him. They both really wanted to show each other some affection, and let the cat out of the bag, but they held back. they all got into the car and headed over to Martha's.

When they got there, Jack and Crow were already inside. However, they did not look too happy. "What's wrong?" Yusei asked and they both pointed to Martha. Martha smiled as she got up. "I have something I want you all to see," she replied. Everyone sat down and they all stared at the screen. When Martha hit play, a video started to get going.

"The Adventure of Captain Stuffy!" a clearly handmade banner was on screen. It was then pulled away and three stuffed bears came on screen. "Hello! I'm Captain Stuffy and I am King of the Sea!" Everyone thought the voice sounded familiar. "Is that Jack?" Akiza finally asked and Martha nodded. "Keep watching." They all turned back to the screen. "I'm Stoopie the Assistant!" another bear replied.

"That's Crow!" Leo noted and Crow hanged his head. They then all looked at the last bear and knew who it was. "And I'm Mr. Hugs and I give out hugs." He turned to Stoopie. "You need hugs!" he proclaimed and Yusei tried to hug Crow's bear. "No Yusei!" a kid Jack yelled, "That's not in the script!" Yusei's bear sighed. "Aww! You just don't like hugs!" he replied.

Everyone, except for the three men in the video, started laughing. They all had to hushed down as a new, badly drawn picture appeared in the background. When it appeared, you could tell that it was clearly resting against a pillow. "All right men! We're going to find treasure!" Captain Stuffy said to the other bears. "Arggg! Buried treasure," Stoopie replied. "Yay treasure!" Yusei's bear cheered. Everyone laughed again.

"Do you guys have to be so loud?" Jack shouted angrily at the rest of them, "Now watch the rest, so we can get out of here." Everyone became quiet and continued watching. Jack and Crow's bears seemed to biggest and most serious when it came to finding the "treasure." When a storm hit the ship, they all watched as Jack, looking like a child, accidentally came into the picture, and blew (pretending like it was wind). Everyone awwed at seeing him.

"Isn't that cute?" Yami noted. Jack smiled proudly as he knew he was a cute kid. Later, Crow's face appeared when he tried to make it look like the sun appeared again out of the storm. There weren't any nice comments when he appeared, making Crow become angry. When the three bears tried to dig for gold, Yusei's little hand appeared, as he dumped cinnamon on a piece of paper with an "X". Yusei frowned, as his face didn't appear, and there weren't any nice comments about him either.

When they bears found "gold" (although it was more like plastic tokens), the three bears cheered. "What are we going to do with it?" Stoopie asked. "Lets keep it for ourselves!" Stuffy replied. "We should give it to people we love!" Mr. Hugs replied, "Just like hugs!" Jack and Crow both broke character and groaned. "Yusei! You don't have to give everybody hugs and all that affectionate stuff!" Jack replied.

"But it's cool and friendly!" Yusei replied, "Besides, Mr. Hugs would do it!" Crow sighed and put a piece of paper in front of the bears. "The End." Martha turned on the lights and the three men all hanged their heads. It was embarrassing that Martha showed them their poorly made, kid's movie to their friends. Everyone else was smiling and laughing at it.

"All right! That's enough!" Jack shouted, "I'm out of here! We came, we sat, it's over!" Crow quickly followed him out, embarrassed by the film. Everyone else came around Yusei and talked about how cute and funny it was. Yusei just sat there embarrassed and took in all the comments. Once Martha was done putting the film back where it belonged, she talked about how it came about. The boys wanted to try something with the new video camera and so Martha let them make the movie.

Once they all had their fun, and some pie for dessert, they all headed back to the garage. "I'll just call a limo and be done with it," Akiza replied and Yusei and her shared a hug. "I'll take the twins back," Yami replied and Jaden agreed. They both headed back to the Tops and, once they were almost there, Yami remembered the book from before.

"Hey Luna, can I borrow a book I saw on a shelf at your house?" Luna nodded. "Sure thing!" she replied and Yami felt good. He wanted to read what was going on in this time period and what might have changed. When they got back to the Tops, Yami headed upstairs with Jaden and the twins. He then headed for the same book shelf. "Luna's Dairy," he read again and headed towards the door.

"Thanks Luna!" Yami replied as the twins were in the kitchen, cleaning up the dishes, "Your welcome Yami!"

As Yami headed out with Jaden, he smiled as he held the pink book. He wondered what it contained and what was in it. As he looked at the cover, he felt as though he was going to learn a lot from the book. As he looked at the title, he thought that it said, "Luna's Dairy." However, what he didn't realize was that it said, "Luna's Diary." The worst part was that Luna had no idea it was gone.

**A/N: Yami's made a big mistake! What will happen when he realizes it? And what will he learn about Luna and girls?  
**

**It's in the next Chapter and I hope you'll enjoy it!**

**School starts soon, so apologize for delays!**


	10. Yami's Secret Book

**Chapter 10!  
**

**alanazteca: I'm so happy I put a smile on your face. I now have it where every person that reviews my last Chapter will get a reply back in the next one.**

**Flame-Metal-Hear: So happy you enjoyed it. I hope this Chapter was worth the wait! **

**A/N: I apologize for the wait, as school has started for me, and I'm trying to get all my classes and stuff in order. I'll try to update as soon as I can. For now, please enjoy this Chapter!**

As Yami went home, he knew that he didn't want other people reading his book. For some reason, it had attracted Yami, almost like a magnet. He wasn't sure if it was the color, the title, or what, but he knew there was something special about it. He looked at the title and all the words on the front cover. "Hey! Can I see that?" Jaden asked, but Yami quickly pulled it away from his direction. "No!" Yami replied, "This is my special book and I don't want anyone touching it." Jaden frowned. "Aww! Can't I just know the title?" Yami kept the book pressed to his chest. "It's called Luna's Dairy," he replied. Jaden was confused. "Luna's Dairy?" he asked, "What, are you going to be learning all about cows?" Yami was a bit stuttered in his speech. "Well...learning about cows might be...very interesting," he replied and they continued walking until they got back to the garage.

When Yami and Jaden opened the door, they found Yusei laying on his cot, smiling happily. Akiza and him had just shared their first kiss and Yusei was incredibly happy. A tornado could go through and take all of his Duel Monster cards and he would still be smiling like mad. Akiza clearly liked being affectionate with him, his looks, and for everything he had done for her. It made Yusei feel as though there were new feelings inside himself that he couldn't explain.

As Yusei read a flier about getting cable TV, he didn't even notice Yami or Jaden come downstairs. "Hey you guys! Are the twins dropped off okay?" Jaden nodded. "Good," Yusei replied, "It was great that you guys took them home." He then spotted Yami's book. "What's that?" Yusei asked. Yami quickly brought the book to his chest, just like he had done with Jaden. He made sure no one was able to read the title yet again. "It's a book that the twins had that I thought could tell me more information about your time Yusei," Yami replied, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to bed." Yami quickly walked away, while Jaden followed at a distance, with his hands in his pockets.

Later, Yusei was trying to fall asleep. He hugged his sheets and imagined they were Akiza. "Who wants another hug?" Yusei asked as he tightly held onto the sheets. "Mmmph," he sighed happily, "You're the greatest woman in the world Akiza." For Jaden, he too was smiling, but he had already drifted off to dream land. "That's it," he muttered, "More. I want more pizza!" For Yami, he sighed as he looked up at the ceiling.

Living in this time period was both new and strange. Not having Yugi around was a bit of a change, but it also could have been trouble. Luckily, since Yusei and the others were no longer Signers, they couldn't see spirits anymore. Still, if Yugi would have came, even without the rules, it would have been awkward having people like Jack and Crow questioning the person next to him. On top of that, it would have been odd to explain to Leo and Luna how there was a person next to him and not a duel monster.

Still, Yami looked at the book he had put on his bedside table. He decided to just take a quick peek at it and see what was the opening Chapter. He found that, at the Top of the first page, was a handwritten note. It said at the Top:

"Dear Diary,

The reason I am writing this, is because I feel as though there are certain things I must talk about. I know that I can come to my friends for anything, but there are some things I need to write about, that is just to myself. As much as I love my friends, I know my friends do not understand some of my feelings, and I can tell that they cannot understand why I think the way I do. They do not have the abilities I have and they do not speak the same language as I do."

Yami looked up. "Different language?" he whispered. He looked at the title again. "Wait...who wrote this book?" Yami looked for an author, but found none. Yami was confused. He re-read the first section. It talked about having "certain abilities." What did that mean? A farmer might have certain abilities, but what was the farmer talking about? Suddenly, he remembered how Yusei and his friends couldn't see or talk to Duel Monsters anymore. Maybe, this farmer had the same thing, only with one difference.

"She can read and understand both people and animal's minds!" Yami concluded, "And if she can do that, then he can help me with my goal for Yusei!"

Yami suddenly heard Jaden moan as he turned over. Yami quickly dropped the book and covered his mouth. Jaden rolled over and continued muttering something. Yami looked down at the book in his lap and decided that it was best to not read anymore. He couldn't risk waking Jaden and losing his special book. If this farmer could understand people and animal' minds, maybe he could do the same the same with Yusei and Akiza. Then, he could achieve his goal a lot faster and easier.

Yami quickly laid down and was having trouble staying still. This was so cool that he found this out. Maybe it was a message from above that told him to pick out the book, and want to read it. It was the only explanation as to why he would pick out such a weird and odd looking one. Yami smiled as he finally got off to sleep, because he knew it was only a matter of time! He couldn't wait until morning and finding out more about this farmer and her "special gift."

The next morning, the first thing Yami wanted to do was read his book. However, he sat up and saw Jaden in his boxers. "Jaden! What are you doing?" Yami asked. Jaden shrugged. "There's a bug on the wall and I'm trying to get rid of it." Yami rolled his eyes. "Can't you put some pants on first?" Yami pleaded. Jaden shook his head. "No way! Not until I get this bug!" It then flew on his boxers. "All right!" Jaden cheered, "Close range!"

Yami looked away as he tried to hit it. "Ow! My thingy!" Jaden cried. Yami rolled his eyes and muttered, "Idiot." He then got out of bed, not feeling like he should be reading his special book. He got out and got dressed in his normal attire. He went downstairs and Yusei was still humming and as happy as could be. "Boy you're in a good mood," Yami complimented him as he flipped over some pancakes. "Well yeah you'd be too if...uh..." Yusei paused and wondered if he should keep going.

"If what?" Yami questioned. Yusei just stared at him like a deer in the headlights. "Uh..." Yusei moaned, before coming in closer to Yami. "All right look. You can't tell anyone. Not even Jaden." Yami was confused. "Not even Jaden?" Yusei nodded. "Especially Jaden," he replied, "He'll tell everyone."

"Tell everyone what?" Yami asked. Yusei whispered very softly to him. "Last night, Akiza and I..." He gulped. "Kissed." Yami gasped, but a smile soon appeared on his face. "You did? Well congratulations!" he replied. Yusei smiled. "Yes. Thank you, but don't tell anyone! Akiza and I were thinking about announcing it to everyone." Yami was confused. "When would you tell us?" Yami asked. Yusei shrugged. "I don't know. Whenever Akiza feels is the right time. I don't want to put any pressure on her."

"That's very thoughtful of you," Yami complimented him, "But do you think that you'll be able to wait very long?" Yusei shrugged "I don't know," he replied, "I really want to get with her again and be affectionate and all that stuff. We talked about it and Akiza wants to be super affectionate, just like me. So...I don't know what we're going to do." Yusei sighed and Yami frowned. The happy go lucky Yusei from a few minutes ago was suddenly gone.

"Look Yusei. I'm sorry if I screwed everything up by forcing you to tell me." Yusei shook his head. "No. It's just that... I wanted to make sure that you guys tell us at the right time and when everyone can be there to appreciate it. Getting to kiss and show Akiza affection was great. I'm still so happy that the two of us are finally going to get to be a real couple. However, I just want to make sure Akiza's comfortable when we announce it to the world." Yami agreed.

"You might wanna watch those pancakes," he noted and Yusei gasped. "Whoops," he replied and quickly turned them over. Soon, Jaden came down, finally dressed in his normal attire, and the three men sat down for breakfast. Jac and Crow came down a couple minutes later. "Where are the King's pancakes?" Jack questioned as he sat down. "I'll make you some fresh ones," Yusei replied, "Don't worry." Jack looked around. "And where's my coffee?" he demanded. Crow went and unhappily got it for him.

Yami looked at everyone as they were looking upset, except for maybe Jaden. This seemed like a golden opportunity to tell them about Yusei and Akiza and maybe putting everyone in a better mood. "Hey guys! I've got something to say!" Yami said as he stood up. Almost as if time froze, everyone turned to him. "I uh..." Yusei shook his head, worried Yami was going to spill the beans.

"Uh...was thinking that Jaden and I would finally finish our decks today." Jack shrugged and went back to looking at the window. "That's good," Jack replied, "Maybe now you guys can enter some tournaments and maybe win us some money." Yami frowned as he looked over at Yusei who was flipping pancakes. He knew he had almost spilled the beans on Yusei and was only trying to help. Still, he felt as though Yusei shouldn't be so shy about the situation and just tell them.

After breakfast, Yami went back to his room and decided to finally pick up his book again. Jaden was going to wait until after he took a shower and did a couple other things for them to leave for the card shop. Yami opened his book to the second page and read.

"Dear Diary,

Today, I had a really odd thing happen to me. I suddenly felt really weird when I went to the bathroom. I then checked my underwear and started freaking out. There was blood on it. I didn't know what was wrong! I started trying to clean it up with toilet paper. This was the first time it had every happened to me and I was concerned. I didn't want anymore blood coming out, so I stuffed my panties with toilet paper. I went to the bathroom in between classes a couple of times and then I went during class for the others. I kept having to replace the toilet paper and I one time used a paper towel.

Once the day was over, I knew that I had to find Akiza."

Yami stopped. "Akiza? Luna has an animal named Akiza?" Yami thought it was strange that this farmer had an animal with the same name as his friend's girlfriend. However, maybe it was a really common name nowadays. He decided that maybe this animal and Akiza's name was just a coincidence. He ignored the fact that it was really talking about the human Akiza and read on.

"I finally caught up to her and told her that something was wrong. Akiza smiled and walked with Leo and me back to our house. I didn't feel totally comfortable talking about it with Leo there. So, Akiza agreed to have us have a girl to girl talk. Leo was upset, but I assured him that this was something that he wouldn't understand."

Again, Yami paused. "Leo? That seems like a good name for an animal and I know that it's actually somewhat common." Yami was finding it kind of cool that this farmer might know an animal named Leo. "But what animal could Leo be?" Yami wondered, "Maybe...Leo's a dog!" Yami concluded. What he read next confirmed his suspicion.

"Leo ran inside our house like the best party ever was happening and it was just for him." Yami smiled. "Yeah. This Leo character's definitely a dog. I wonder what this Akiza animal is?" He kept reading.

"Akiza and I then talked about it. I told her about my underwear and, while I was embarrassed, I do have a lot of trust in Akiza. I went to the bathroom and showed her the underwear, once I changed into some new ones. She said that I was going through something called a 'period.' She then told me that it was very common and that there were measures for me to take. She told me that her mother had to teach her what to do. However, she told me that not everyone goes through it the same way. So, I should do what is best for me. After looking ups some things online, I found some new tampons to wear. And the best part of it was that my best friend Akiza helped me through it all."

Yami closed the book and was still confused as to what animal Akiza was. He knew that she was an animal with a period. Was it a cow? Cows were on a lot of farms and it was called "Luna's Dairy." On top of that, the first person she went to was Akiza. So, she probably was her best friend, but the only thing was, did cows have periods? Yami didn't know, but he knew a way to find out. That's when he made the decision to go downstairs to ask the guys. He spotted no one around, but he did see Yusei's computer. He had seen Yugi use one a whole bunch of times, but Yami never understood how the contraption worked. He went over to it and looked at the keyboard. "All right," he said, "How do I turn this machine on?"

He looked at the keys. "I see Esc, Shift, and Enter." Yami smiled. "Maybe I hit "enter", so I can enter into the system." He hit the button and nothing happened. "Hmm...maybe I'll try this one." He hit another key and nothing happened. Yami finally decided to just hit key after key, hoping to finally guess the right one. "Come on! Come on!" Yami muttered under his breath.

Finally, he tapped the real power key and the machine started. Yami sighed contently and sat down. When the computer's loading screen came up, it asked for a password. Yami wasn't sure what it was. "Akiza?" he instantly thought and typed it in. It didn't work. "Love? Dueling? Stardust Dragon?" Yami said and tried all of of them. None worked. Luckily, Yami spotted Crow coming from a shower. "Hey Crow, what's the password for the computer?" Crow walked over to him.

"Did you try all the obvious ones?" Yami nodded. Crow just grinned. "Yeah. We've been giving him crap about that for a long time. Heck, we've said the password should be Akiza since we first knew that Yusei liked her. Anyways, the password is 'happiness.'" Yami stared at him. "Why'd he choose that?" Crow shrugged. "I dunno. Probably, because it's generic enough that it can also hint that he likes Akiza." Yami looked at the keyboard and was about to type.

"Can you spell 'happiness' for me?" he asked, as he never had to spell it before. Crow smiled and typed it in. Yami thanked him and Crow went away. Yami then looked at the screen and wasn't sure what he should exactly click on. However, he did find a symbol that the guys were on all the time. He clicked on it and a window then appeared.

Yami stared at it and had seen the guys going through this before. He clicked on a small arrow and a bunch of websites appeared. He clicked on one, that Yusei had said he disapproved of. When Yami clicked on it, he found a bunch of inappropriate pictures. However, he then spotted something he hadn't seen before. It was an ad that said, "Looking for someone hot that wants to be in a relationship? Click here!" Yami did and he was now taken to a dating website.

The site asked him to make a profile and then "hot beautiful people" will contact him. Yami was curious as to who these "hot beautiful" people were and was eager to find out. He started filling in some of the information. He didn't know the address, so he skipped it, but he did find a email area. By this time, Crow came back and Yami asked him for his e-mail address. "What do you need it for?" Crow asked without looking up from his book. "It's...for research," Yami replied.

He wasn't lying. Yami had never been to a site like this before. He wanted to find out who these people were and, luckily, Crow gave him his e-mail address. Yami smiled once he got down to description. After filling out a few things such as appearance as "lanky" and hair as "pointy", it then asked him to fill in some dating or "turn on" information. Yami thought for a moment and then smiled.

"If you want to meet me, I'll show you all the moves I learned in my special place." Yami liked it and then created the profile. It then told him that he would be notified when the results came back. In the mean time, Yami spotted another ad. This one was advertising "free games." Yami clicked on it and soon found a whole list of games to play. He clicked on one and started playing.

Soon, the door opened as Yusei came in. He sighed as he was feeling a bit down in the dumps. He hadn't talked to Akiza since going out last night and he was having sort of a mood swing. He sighed as he then saw Yami on the computer. Yusei had never seen the famous duelist on a piece of 21st century's technology and decided to go over to him. He watched without interruption, as Yami was doing surprisingly well on the game.

"Yes! High score!" Yami cheered as he put his hands in the air. "Looks like you're having fun," Yusei told him as Yami looked up at him. He smiled. "Hey Yusei! I found this really cool game. Wanna give it a whirl?" Yusei put his hands up. "I'd rather not," he replied, "But what are you doing? You've never gone on my computer before." Yami thought for a moment. "Um...just researching. That's all." Yusei got a smirk.

"Come on! It looks a little more like having fun than research." Yami shrugged. "Well yeah. It's just that I got addicted to this game." Yami pointed at him. "But I really did go on here for research." Yusei nodded. "What kind of research?" Yami smiled. "I needed to see what a period was," Yami noted. Yusei went to the fridge and got a water bottle.

"It goes at the end of a sentence," he replied. Yami smiled. "I know that. I was just talking about the period that women get." Yusei nearly choked on his water. "Wait! What?" Yami smiled. "I dunno. I guess women have this thing called a period. Do you know what that is?" Yusei was baffled. "Um...kind of, but I think I'll let this piece of technology explain it to us better." Yusei quickly did a search and found some information. They then saw a picture of female organs.

"That's what women look like on the inside?" Yami asked, "It's disgusting!" Yusei cringed as well. "Okay. We've seen enough of that," he replied and quickly went to something else. He then turned his attention to Yami. "Yami, why do you need to know about a period?" Yami was worried about telling Yusei his secret. So, he tried to improvise.

"I just need to know if a cow can have a period, because I'm..." Yami twitted his thumbs. "In...terested in cows." Yusei didn't get it, as Jack stormed in from outside. "Okay! Why is weather so sucky today?" Yami and Yusei instantly turned to Jack. "Hey! What are you looking at?" Jack shouted. "Um...nothing," Yusei replied, "Yami and I just wanted to see if cows got periods." Jack looked at them as if they were nuts.

"Why are you looking that crap up?" he asked. Yusei frowned. "Oh what am I suppose to do Jack? Drive over to Wisconsin and ask a farmer there if he knows?" Jack stormed over to them. "No! Because that's just stupid! It's too far to drive to Wisconsin and it's a stupid question to look up." Yami looked up at him. "It's not stupid for me," he replied. Jack faced him.

"Well then why do you care if cows get periods?" Yami certainly didn't want to tell Jack about his book and the farmer that could read animal's minds. "I...was just curious." Jack just rolled his eyes and stormed off. Yusei, however, knew there was more to the story, as Yami had a reason for it. "Yami, now that Jack's gone, what's the real reason for all of this?" Yami looked around, making sure no one else heard him.

"It's just that...well...I found this book about a farmer, who can read her animal's minds." Yusei was flabbergasted. "O...kay," he replied, "Is this a fiction book?" Yami shook his head. "No! It's a story called, 'Luna's Farm.' It has her talk to her cow friend." Yami then demanded Yusei go see if cow's have periods. "If they do, then this proves that it's real." Yusei looked it up and, sure enough, cows did have periods.

"I win!" Yami proclaimed as they read the answer. Yusei sighed. "Fine," he replied, but he wanted to see this physical book. "Let me see this book," Yusei requested. Again, Yami looked around. "All right, but you can't tell or show anyone! Understand?" Yusei nodded and he followed him to Yami's room. When they got there, Yami pulled out the book. He then showed it to Yusei. "See!" he replied.

Yusei looked at all the "Keep out!" and "Do Not Open!" quotes on the book. "Um...Yami. This says 'Luna's Diary.' Where did you get this?" Yami shook his head. "Nuh uh," he replied, "It says 'Luna's Dairy.'" Yusei shook his head. "No. Diary. Not dairy. Dairy is spelled d-a-i-r-y. Diary is spelled d-i-a-r-y. You got the two mixed up. They are very close to one another though. But where did you get this anyways?"

"Leo and Luna's house," Yami replied. Yusei smiled. "Oohh," he replied. Suddenly, Yusei realized what that meant. "Wait! So this is Luna's diary." He looked at Yami. "What are we gonna do when she finds out!" Yami just stared at him. "Hey Yusei." Yusei turned to him. "Why are you freaking out? What exactly is a diary?" Yusei's eyes grew wide.

"It's important enough to know that Luna's gonna cream you if you don't bring it back!"

Back at the twin's house, Luna was happily skipping over to the bookshelf. She really wanted to put something in her diary. When she got there, she reached for the spot it was normally in, but she didn't feel it or see it. "Wait! Where's my diary?" she asked. Luna suddenly frowned. "Leo!" she shouted, "Did you take my diary?" Leo was sitting on the couch, reading something.

"Hmm? What?" Luna stormed over to him. "You know what! Stealing my diary!" she shouted. Leo went back to reading. "Why would I read your stupid diary?" he asked, "There's nothing in it that interests me." Luna huffed. "Yeah...well...then who did?" she asked, "It's not like people were over here stealing our books." Leo thought for a moment. "Actually...Yami and Jaden were here last night," he noted, "And Yami took a book with him." Luna's eyes got big.

"Nnnnnnoooooooo!" Luna shouted.

She quickly grabbed Leo's wrist and started pulling him outside. "Wait! Where are we going to sis?" Leo asked. Luna grinned her teeth and almost growled. "We're going to get my diary back." Luna looked up. "Who know's what those guys might be doing with it!"

_Luna Imagines_

All of the guys looked over Luna's book with evil grins on their faces. Behind them was a pitch black background. All of the men chuckled as they read the book. "Look at all of these stupid thoughts she has," Yusei remarked. "Yeah," Jack replied, "I thought Crow was the perverted one, but this one takes the cake." Crow chuckled again. "Yeah. I mean, all she does is think about guys and how cute they are."

Yami and Jaden chuckled one more time. "Of course," Yami replied as he took the book and dangled it, "It would be even better if we told everyone about it." Jaden agreed. "Yeah. Then we can tell everyone, including those guys she likes." They all laughed evilly and smiled at the book.

_Luna Stops Imagining_

"Hey sis, why did we stop?" Leo asked. Luna turned to her brother. "Huh, what did you say?" Leo was slumped over as Luna continued to hold his wrist. "Why did we stop going to the garage?" Luna turned away. "Uh...nothing," she replied, "Lets get going. I have to rescue my book from those evil guys." Leo looked lost. 'Did she just say evil guys?' he wondered.

Back at the garage, Crow, Jack, and Jaden all heard the commotion and went downstairs. Yusei had to explain what happened to them and now they were all in the loop. They were all worried about what would happen. "How much did you read?" Yusei questioned. Yami could only shrug. "I just read the first Chapter. I thought it was about Farmer Luna and her animals." Yusei put his hands on his head. "What did it say about us?" Crow replied. Yami wasn't sure, as it didn't mention them.

"Uhhhhh..." he moaned. "It said something awful! Didn't it!" Crow concluded. "Maybe she wrote about that time we all picked our nose and had a booger auction," Jack replied. "A booger what?" Yusei asked. "Nothing," Jaden replied, "You were asleep." As Yusei looked baffled, the door knocked. "Uh..." Crow said nervously as he spotted the book. He quickly took it and tried to hide it behind his back. "Come in."

All of the guys watched as Akiza stepped in. "Akiza!" Yusei said as he put a hand to his chest. He then raced over to her and stopped suddenly. Akiza smiled as she saw his open arms and nodded. Yusei smiled and they completed the hug. They both sighed happily, as Yusei forgot all about the diary. Crow quickly tried to stuff the book in between the couch cushions, as Leo and Luna quickly raced inside.

"Yami!" Luna shouted and he quickly froze at the sound of his name, "Where is that book you borrowed?" Yami looked around. "Uhhhh," he moaned, yet again. Luna stormed up to him and he quickly backed away, even as she was much shorter than him. "I need that book back. NOW!" Yami just tried to wiggle his way out of it. "Well...you see..."

"How much did you read?" Luna demanded. Akiza and Yusei walked over. "What are you talking about?" Akiza asked. Luna turned to her. "Yami took a book from my house and I thought it was a regular book. Instead, it's my diary!" Akiza looked stunned. "Diary?" she asked and turned to Yami. Yusei quickly took a step back. He knew that Akiza could blow a fuse over this.

"Yeah. Yami came over and asked for a book. However, he didn't tell me that it was my diary." Akiza frowned and went over to the accused defendant. "Reading a little girl's diary?" she asked, "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Akiza got close to Yami's face, but Yusei put a hand on her shoulder. "Akiza, you didn't get his side of the story, because Yami thought the story was called 'Luna's Dairy.' Not the other way around." Akiza turned back to Yami.

"But how would that story make any sense?" Akiza asked. Luna was on Akiza's side. "Yeah. How would that make any sense?" Yami sighed. "I thought that this Luna character was a farmer that could read animal's minds." Yami made sure to leave out the part of helping Yusei and Akiza, with her being able to read people's minds. Everyone, except Yami chuckled. "What?" Akiza asked, as she spoke for all of them not in the know. "I thought that Luna was a farmer, Akiza was a cow, and Leo was a dog." Everyone turned to Leo.

"How could I be a dog?" he asked, "I don't have any traits with dogs." Leo then spotted a butterfly outside. "Cool! A butterfly!" he cried and then ran outside. Everyone else turned their attention back to the task at hand. "I could see how Akiza's a cow," he replied, eying her humongous chest, "I'm sure you could get a couple of gallons out of those things."

"Crow!" Yusei shouted as Akiza covered her chest and Yusei put his arm around Akiza's back. Yusei hated it when people made fun of her ginormous chest. It wasn't her fault her cans were so flipping huge. "So what animal was Yusei?" Jack asked. Yami shook his head. "I dunno," he replied, "I only read the first Chapter. It had it where Luna was getting her first..."

"Shh!" Luna shushed him, "Shhh! Shhh! Shhh!" She kept a finger by her mouth and approach Yami again, as he took a few steps back. "Don't tell them about that," she replied and took the book from him, "Those are my private thoughts." Suddenly, Luna had a realization. "Wait! If Yami read it, then what about you guys?" She suddenly looked suspiciously at the men in the room.

"We didn't read it! We swear!" Yusei replied. Luna frowned at him, before quickly smiling. "Okay. I trust you Yusei." She then eyed the other three men. "What about you guys?" They all smiled. "We didn't read it!" Crow replied, "Honest!" Luna frowned. "Are you sure Crow? You seem like the kind of guy who would want to hear a teenage girl's thoughts and make fun of it."

"Trust me Luna!" he replied. Luna frowned at him some more, along with the other guys. But finally, Luna smiled. "All right. I think you guys might be in the clear." She quickly looked back at them. "But if I hear any jokes or hear you guys talking about something in here, don't forget that I have ways to get back at you." Akiza bended down to her height.

"All right Luna. That's enough for now. You got your book back. Now, why don't you head home and do some homework?" Luna smiled. "'Kay," she replied and took Akiza's hand. "So, what are you going to write in your diary tonight?" Crow asked as Luna got to the door. "Oh. I don't know," Luna replied, "Maybe something about..." She quickly turned around.

"Hey! Nice try Crow! But I'm not telling you about a thing! It's private!" Crow put his hand behind his head. "Okay. You got me." Luna smiled, but also gave him one last frown as Crow and her locked eyes. "All right! See you guys later!" Luna said as she suddenly changed back to happy again. She then went outside with Akiza. Akiza winked at Yusei, who blushed a tiny, tiny bit. Leo soon followed and they went home.

"What do you think that was all about?" Crow asked, referring to Luna's last second frown at him. "Oh. Probably nothing," Jack replied.

Later, Crow sat down after a long, hard day. "Man. Time to check my e-mails." He went online and then logged into his usual account. He soon got to his inbox and it said he had a ton of new e-mails. "I wonder why I got so much?" Crow said to himself and opened up his inbox. He soon saw a bunch of e-mails from the dating site Yami had been on earlier.

"Luna!" Crow shouted, as he thought it was retaliation from earlier. However, it was really from Yami Yugi.

**A/N: Again, sorry for the delay! I'm trying to get the Chapters out as soon as possible, but school makes it very tough, especially with a few really hard classes.**

**Thanks for sticking with me and thanks for all your support!**


	11. Dueling from the Bottom

**Chapter 11!  
**

**Eunice Pachec: Thanks. **

**Flame-Metal-Hear: As long as Yami keeps his mouth shut, then yes he will! XD **

**Bentstua: Glad you were able to get a good laugh. I was worried the Chapter wouldn't make any sense, so I just took a risk and it seems to have worked. **

**A/N: Anyone who's read Bentstua's latest Chapter of "Dreams of True Love", you might have wondered what they meant by mentioning me on the Author Note just before the Chapter started (even if you didn't I'll explain what happened late last week).**

**You see, when I was on a search engine, I typed in something Yu-Gi-Oh! related and, as I was reading the results, I found one of my stories on it. However, it was not from Fanfiction and it was on a website I never recall going to. I clicked on it and found that someone, that I do not know, had copied and pasted one of my stories onto the website. It was word for word and even the description was almost an exact copy (it took out only the end with Faithshipping, Ooc, etc.). **

**I never gave permission to this person to do this. I am flattered that someone enjoyed the story enough to want other people to read it. However, I am upset that I was not informed of it as well as the fact that they never asked for permission. I do not want to cause a big fight, as the reason why I'm not posting where/who did it. However, I do ask that anyone who wants to use my work, please ask me for permission first. I will be more times than not, happy to let you use it. Ironically, the day after I found it, Bentstua asked me to borrow my make out scene in Chapter 13 of "Learning About Love and Each Other", and I was more than happy to help out.**

**In conclusion, please ask me, before taking or using any of my Fanfiction work in anyway. I put many hours of hard work into them.**

**Anyways, with that being said, please enjoy this next Chapter!**

The next morning, Yami got up, and realized that, even through Luna's diary mess, they hadn't gone to the Card Shop to finish Jaden and his deck. "Crap!" he muttered as he sat up in bed. He looked at Jaden nestled comfortably in at the foot of the bed. Yami laid back and knew that their "little lie" was probably going to have to spill over into reality. There was no way Yusei and Akiza were going to complete their task in time for Yami and Jaden to quickly leave without a duel.

The only good news is that no one recognized them (outside of the fact that he looked like Yugi Moto). Otherwise, no one would remember or know just how good of duelists that they were. Yami knew that them bursting onto the scene might have much more serious consequences than lets say eating a hot dog in the future. How would the future be changed if they dueled and then were gone? The puzzle said that it wouldn't matter, but how would that play out? What would happen if they won a few tournaments, even if they were very small?

Yami sighed. He didn't want to do something that would ruin someone else's chances. However, he knew he couldn't just hold back and do nothing. His friends would be able to tell if he lost on purpose, as they were all great duelists, even Leo and Luna. However, that meant that Yami wouldn't be able to throw away duels or fake losses. Crow was an expert at doing that, but Yami had no experience and neither did Jaden. Yusei might, if he ever lost to Leo and Luna, but that was the only other person who might have experience when it comes to losing on purpose. Even Yami did approach Crow, he would have to reveal his secret to him.

Yami tiptoed out of the room and went back to the kitchen. No one was up yet, so Yami decided to make his own breakfast. As he sat down to eat, Yusei came down in his sleeveless black undershirt, and yawned loudly as he rested his long, thin arms against the wall. "Hey Yusei. You look tired," Yami commented. Yusei looked drowsily over at him. "Yeah," he replied and yawned again. "Why don't you go back to bed?" Yami questioned.

"I could, but then my sleep schedule will be all screwed up. Not to mention..." Yusei stayed quiet for a moment and Yami listened closely as Yusei pointed upstairs. He could hear something playing, but he wasn't sure what. "What is that?" he asked. Yusei sighed. "Jack must have feel asleep with the TV on again, since all I heard since 6 AM is a kid's show." Yami tilted his head. "A kid's show?" he asked.

In Jack's room, Jack snored lightly as a TV played in front of him. "Okay kids! Can you count to three?" the host questioned, "You can? Well lets count to three then. One...two...three! Yay!" Jack rolled over and kept sleeping.

Back downstairs, Yusei looked over at Yami. "Yusei, you didn't tell everyone about Akiza and yourself being more affectionate and having your first kiss." Yusei nodded. "I know, but there wasn't a good time yesterday. Luna was going to rip your head off and Akiza wanted to make sure nothing bad happened. So, I'll talk to her today and see what happens." Yami nodded. "Well...good luck."

When Jaden came down, Yami knew that they didn't have much time to be procrastinating about their decks. Jack had mentioned having them go out and duel in tournaments to help with their money woes. "Listen Jaden! We have to build our decks today! Period!" Yami said firmly as Jaden leaned back in his seat. "Just chill out," Jaden replied, "We don't have to build our decks now. If we can think of enough excuses, then maybe Yusei and Akiza will finally do what we need them to do and then we won't have to do any more work." Yami frowned.

"Listen Jaden, we're finishing our decks today and that's final." He got up and took his hand. "Come on," he said firmly. "But I didn't finish my breakfast yet," Jaden complained. Yami finally let go. "Fine," he replied, "What are you making?" Jaden thought for a moment. "Pancakes, turkey bacon, eggs, milk, cereal, toast..." Yami went over and grabbed him by the ear. "Look. We're making our decks now. If you didn't eat breakfast yet, then you can eat it when you get back," he said as he pulled Jaden out of the house. "Awww!" Jaden moaned.

As they walked, Jaden was confused. "Yami, where are we going to get money to buy our cards?" Yami smiled. He pulled out some green dollar bills. "I took a few from Jack's wallet," he replied, "It was just laying out there and Yusei told me that he hadn't paid them back for food. So, he said it should be fine, as he owed them money." Jaden nodded. "All right. That sounds fair. We would have gotten money from Yusei anyways."

When they got to the shop, Yami and Jaden each pulled their decks out, about 3/4th of the way full. They looked through the trap and spell card section, looking for any card that might make their deck stronger. As they looked around some more, Jaden found a couple right in a row, while Yami found the same amount over fifteen minutes. Even as Jaden had already picked out his new deck, Yami took his time, and Jaden even helped him out. When they finally got their decks ready, they smiled once they were paying for their purchases.

"Hey! You guys! Do you play competitively?" the manager asked as the cashier rang them up. Yami and Jaden looked at one another. "Um..." Yami started. "Yeah!" Jaden replied, "We want to try and make it to the pros!" The manager smiled. "Well you're in luck! We have a tournament starting in a couple days for amateurs that want a shot at the pros. It's a season of a number of tournaments that goes until mid-Summer. At the end of the season, the top three get to go to the local qualifying tournament. There, they can move onto regional amateurs. Then State. Then nationals. That's when you have a chance at the pros. Would you both consider signing up?" Jaden and Yami stared at the man's flyer.

Both of them loved dueling, but had never thought about it when they came to this time period. However, now that they were in this situation, what were they supposed to say? If they wanted Jack, Crow, and the others to play along with their story, they had to take a shot. "Um...sure," Jaden replied as he reached out for the piece of paper. Yami quickly put his hand on his shoulder. "Um...let us talk it over first," he replied, as he spoke for them both.

Yami the quickly pulled Jaden away and to a small corner of the store. "Yami! What are you doing?" Jaden whispered loudly. Yami shushed him. "We can't do that!" he replied, "We have to complete our mission first and then get out of here!" Jaden had a comeback. "But you were the one saying we could build our decks! That's why you dragged me here. And I didn't get breakfast! I'm starving!" Yami sighed.

"Look. I wanted us to build our decks and then we'd say that there haven't been any opportunities or something. Then, if we got pressured into doing a tournament, we'd do like one or only do it if we were forced to or something." Jaden stared at him in disbelief. "That's you plan! That's stupid!" he replied, "Besides, so what if we enter? What we do here won't affect us in the past." Yami nodded.

"Yeah, but at tournaments, they ask for _last names," _Yami replied, "If they see that, then we'll be creating almost a whole new history here. That might get us in trouble." Jaden shook his head. "Nu uh," he replied, "Besides, we'll just lie about our last names if we have to." Yami thought about it. "I'm not doing that!" he replied, "Besides, it wouldn't feel right." They both sighed and thought for a moment. "Tell you what, I'll try to have us use our last names. But I have to double check the puzzle first." Jaden nodded and they went up to the counter. "We'll take these fliers and see if we have any openings," Jaden finally answered back. They then bought their cards and headed outside.

When they got out Jaden knew what he wanted to do. "I have to get some food in me!" Yami just rolled his eyes and sighed as they headed home, wanting to get some food into their bellies. When they got there, only Jack and Crow were there. "Hey! Where's Yusei?" Yami asked they went inside and then went down the steps. Crow looked over at them. "He wanted to spend more time with Akiza," he replied, "Figures."

Just as Crow said, Yusei was standing at the door of the Izinski manner. When the door swung open, and Akiza was the only one there, Yusei quickly wrapped her in a hug. "Hey Akiza," Yusei said as he tightly wrapped his arms around her, "I missed you." Akiza smiled as she responded by putting her arms tightly around him too. "I missed you too Yusei," she replied as they gave each other a squeeze. They soon leaned back and smiled at one another.

"Come on in," Akiza offered and Yusei stepped inside. As he did, he made sure to keep holding Akiza's hand. She shut the door and the two headed for the living room together. The Izinski parents weren't there, so that put some pressure off of Yusei. He continued to walk next to Akiza and they soon spotted a sofa. As Yusei went over with Akiza, he made sure to keep a firm grip on her hand, even as he sat down. When he sat down, Akiza sat with him, and noticed his firm grip. Her hand wasn't in any ounce of pain, but it was the first time she really noticed how long they had kept their hands interlocked.

"Um...Yusei, is everything all right?" Akiza asked as they continued to hold hands. Yusei turned to her. "Yeah. Why? Is something wrong?" Akiza shook her head. "No, but it's just...we've held hands since we came in." Yusei looked over and looked at their hands. "I'm...I'm sorry," he replied and let go. Akiza quickly reached out and grabbed his hand back. "No!" she cried and took his hand back.

Yusei looked a little shock and Akiza looked away. "I'm sorry. It's just..." She looked down. "I really enjoyed what we just did and I'm very happy that you want to be affectionate with me." Yusei smiled. "Well of course Akiza and I love it that I want to be affectionate with you too." Yusei and Akiza both knew they were repeating themselves. So, Akiza made Yusei an offer that he couldn't refuse.

"Yusei, I wouldn't mind if you sat a little closer to me either." Yusei looked over and saw that Yusei and Akiza had their arms resting on the top of the sofa. Yusei and Akiza were separated by one of Yusei's arm lengths and one of Akiza's arm lengths. Yusei decided that he couldn't turn down an opportunity to be close to Akiza, so he started to scoot over. Their elbows bended as he came closer and closer. They were almost on the same couch cushion as Yusei sat in-between two of them. They stared deep into each other's eyes and remained quiet for a few moments.

"Yusei...I know I've said this before, but I'm so happy that we're dating. I mean, you helped save the world, and I'm so happy you chose me." Yusei looked down and chuckled to himself. "I am too," he replied, "I mean, you have any guy you wanted Akiza. And yet, despite all the guys who would get on hands and knees for you, you picked me." Akiza blushed.

"I love being affectionate with you too Yusei. Even if it's just holding hands with you." Yusei's ears perked up when she said that. "I love being affectionate with you," he replied and he let go of her hand. However, he then gave her affection right away, by wrapping her in a hug.

"Speaking of affection," Yusei replied, "When are we going to show everyone that we're going to be very affectionate with one another?" Akiza sighed. "Well..." She put her arms around him. "I really enjoy being affectionate with you," she replied, "Just the two of us. Alone." Yusei frowned. "But didn't we agree that we would be affectionate no matter when or where?" Akiza nodded. "Yes. I would love to do that too. However..." Akiza bit her lip and Yusei leaned in close. "What is it Akiza?" Akiza sighed. "I just don't want other women coming over and trying to steal you from me." Yusei was confused.

"But, if we're affectionate out in public, wouldn't that keep women off me if they know I'm with you?" Akiza shrugged. "Yeah, but I just don't want them giving me mean looks or saying mean thing about my, you know, past." Yusei leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "Akiza. I want them to stare. I want them to look at us, because then they'll know that we care about each other more than anyone else. I don't care if they give us mean looks, because I'll right there to defend you and our love for each other. I will always stick up for you Akiza." Akiza was stunned. "Really?"

Yusei nodded. "Of course and I am always by your side Akiza. Even when we're separated." Akiza smiled. "Thanks Yusei and I'm always with you too." She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Yusei smiled and did the same for her on her cheek. "You're the best," Akiza whispered. "And you're the best as well," he replied. The two leaned over and kissed on the lips.

"So...when do you wanna tell everyone?" Akiza asked. Yusei smiled. "We'll wait until the moment's right, but for now, would it be okay if we're affectionate by ourselves?" Akiza smiled. "That sounds wonderful Yusei." Akiza leaned forward and Yusei fell onto his back. "Just as long as you're okay with it," she said from above. Yusei nodded. "Of course. It'll be great." Akiza leaned forward. "Just be sure to keep our clothes on," she advised, "And we're no losing our virginity over this." Yusei nodded. "All right," he replied, "Martha would explode if I got you pregnant anyways Akiza, so I don't want to lose my virginity either."

Akiza smiled. "Good and you're clothes are staying on?" Yusei nodded. "Absolutely. 100%." Akiza grinned slyly and leaned forward, letting Yusei see down her top at her ginormous breasts. "Then lets have our first make out session." Yusei and Akiza had both never done this before, but Akiza stayed on top and they slowly got in the mood. Akiza then lead him and helped show him what to do. After a few minutes, they both knew what to do and started heating things up.

Back at the garage, Yami headed towards the bathroom. He knew he couldn't visit the puzzle out in the open. He went to the bathroom and rubbed the puzzle. When he did, it started to glow and he was suddenly back inside the puzzle. He noticed it was the same room as before and the scroll was there too. However, it read, "You may change clothes, eat, and alter time without worries about it affecting your time." Still, Yami was worried. He decided that it was right, but it didn't make him feel good. He still had his concerns.

He still would feel guilty beating many worthy players that would have won without him there. At the same time, he wanted to help Yusei and Akiza. He wanted to help them make money, so that Yusei could have better things. He remembered how much Jaden wanted to do it and how excited he was. So, maybe it would be okay. Besides, it would be fun to try these new decks, especially one that was made in honor of Dexter. Yami rubbed the puzzle and was instantly placed back into the bathroom.

As he went back, Jaden was talking about the card shop and showing his awesome new cards. As Yami stepped downstairs, Jaden looked up. "Come on Yami! Lets show them your cards." Yami nodded and got out his new deck. After showing them off, Jack and Crow looked at them. "Wow!" Crow replied, "These are really good combos. How'd you guys think of such great moves?" Yami and Jaden looked at one another and shrugged. "We want to be pro duelists, so we just figured them out." They both hid the fact that they were two of the best duelists of all time and making a powerful deck, for them, was a breeze.

As Yusei came over, he realized that his hair was a bit messed up. Akiza had been very good during their little make out session and Yusei had been very, very grateful for it. He complimented Akiza on leading him through the session and guiding him so that it gave them both a lot of pleasure. Still, her hands had roamed his black and yellow hair, that almost make him feel like he had bed head. He luckily found a glass window that gave him barely a reflection, but it helped him straighten it out a bit (at least enough to not make Jack and Crow question his head and ask him embarrassing questions).

When he got inside, the guys were all at a table, looking over the cards. Yusei went down and started looking them over too. "Don't these seem like powerful combos?" Jack asked, "These two must really know what they're doing." Yusei gave Yami and Jaden a look. "Ye...ah. They must." Yusei knew that Yami and Jaden were two good duelists, so Yusei wasn't as surprised as Jack and Crow were. Still, it was nice to see both of them compliment Jaden and Yami's work.

Later that day, Crow found the flier that was given to Yami and Jaden. "Hey! What's this?" Crow asked and saw that it was addressed for the card shop. He then spotted one more on the table. He wondered who's they were before a bell rang in his head. He then brought them over to Yami and Jaden as they sat and watched TV. "Hey you guys, were you thinking about entering the local card shop tournament?" Jaden and Yami nodded.

"It's a good way to have us move up and see if we're good enough to reach the top," Yami replied. "Yeah, it's not like we got any sponsorships or anything," Jaden replied. He then laughed. "Hey wait!" He turned to Yusei. "Yusei, if you won the Fortune Cup, saved people from the Dark Signers, won the WRGP, and saved people from ZONE, wouldn't you think you'd get a sponsorship or something?" Yusei shook his head.

"They all wanted me to go solo or team up with other people on the team. And that meant that I would have to leave my friends. I couldn't do that. Not after all we've been through. Besides, if I got a sponsorship deal, do you think I'd still be living in a basement with barely any food?" Jaden nodded. "Yeah. That makes sense." Yusei looked around. He wished Akiza was here, because out of all the people that he would have had to leave, Akiza would have been the one he missed the most. Still, it might have been best that she wasn't here, as Jack and Crow would have been mad that he said he wouldn't have missed them as much.

"Still, it'll be fun going back to dueling again and I can't wait to kick some butt!" Jaden replied. Yami was a bit more content. "Yes. It will be fun and see how people around here handle dueling. Especially since you three are such great duelists." Crow and Jack smiled proudly. "Don't forget Akiza," Yusei added, "She's just as good as we are." For once, Jack and Crow agreed. "Agreed," Crow replied, "Akiza is on our level as well. I wonder why she doesn't go pro." Yusei shrugged, but figured that Akiza's career path wasn't destined for the pro ranks and neither was his.

Later that night, Jaden and Yami were going to fill out the flier. Yami was hesitant putting in his name, but he figured that he had the reassurance of his puzzle. He put in "Yami Yugi" and filled out the rest of the information like sex, sex preference, deck type, etc. Jaden and him looked at both of their fliers once they were done. They each had to pay an entry fee, which to everyone's surprise, Jack handed them the cash.

"I know you two are going to be top notch," he replied. Jaden nodded. "Sure thing!" he replied, but as he reached for the money, Jack pulled the dollar bills back. "But just so you know, I want credit for being part of you guys getting off the ground." Yami and Jaden both rolled their eyes, but agreed to his terms and took the cash. "We'll just do it once," Yami whispered to Jaden as they walked away, "But we'll mostly thank everyone else too." Jaden nodded and liked the idea, as it would make Jack really irritated.

The next day, Yami and Jaden took their filled out applications to the card shop. "All right boys, here's your entry ticket. Now don't lose them! There will be about 16 to 32 duelists or so. Since you guys haven't entered before, you might have to go through a round of qualifying. Once we have a good number for a bracket, then we'll have one on one single elimination that ends with a championship and consolation match."

"Where will the duels be held?" Jaden asked. The man smiled. "We'll have the qualifying and early rounds on tables, since there isn't nearly enough space for everyone to have a duel disk one. Once we reach the quarterfinals, we'll then take them outside or make some room in our dueling area for rounds on duel disks." Jaden and Yami were a bit disappointed they'd have to wait a few rounds until they could play their cards. However, they were starting at the bottom, so they couldn't expect a to be stadium packed filled duels. "Does that still sound good?" the owner asked. Yami and Jaden nodded. "It sounds great," Jaden replied. "Indeed," Yami replied, "Lets do this." The two high five'd and the owner smiled. It was going to be a fun time dueling and getting to see just how far they would come.

The next day, Yami and Jaden were heading out to the tournament. Suddenly, the twins and Akiza came over. Yusei was more than happy to come over and greet them, even if that meant holding off on Akiza. Even after he hugged her, Akiza whispered to him, "When we get back is when we'll tell them." Yusei smiled. "Okay, but I'll have a hard time holding back. I'll be paying more attention to you than the cards being played." Akiza blushed. "Well...I'll be doing the same thing for you as well." They giggled to each other and then went over to everyone else.

"So, how badly are you guys gonna beat them?" Leo asked. Yami shrugged. "We'll see once we get there," he replied, "But I get the feeling it'll be a lot of them." Leo jumped up and cheered and they all headed out. As they went there, Akiza asked Yusei a question. "Yusei, are you sure you won't be mobbed by people wanting your autograph and stuff?" Yusei shook his head.

"I haven't gotten mobbed before," he replied, "But even if I did, I'll make sure that I sign every one of them." Akiza was happy that Yusei was that generous, but also worried that he would be stuck spending the whole time signing autographs. Yusei, without knowing it, made Akiza feel a little better. "But don't worry Akiza. I'll be standing next to you while we're there, so if there's only one person I can talk to, it's you." Akiza smiled and felt little better.

When they got there, the store was packed with people. As they all walked in, Yami and Jaden spotted a table with "Duelists" written on it. They both went over and saw two men sitting there. "All right boys," one of the men said, "Since you haven't been here before, you'll be in the qualifying rounds. They'll be over there at those tables and it looks like we'll have eight people. The top two will advance to the real tournament, with them both facing the number one and two seeds."

As Yami and Jaden went back, everyone caught eye that, not only was Yusei there, but all the Signers. A few people came up to them and wanted to shake their hands. However, no one asked for an autograph and it was rather calm. Yami and Jaden were surprised that the current best duelist in the world received such little fanfare. "Maybe it's because Yusei doesn't duel professionally and hasn't Turbo Dueled in forever," Jaden noted as the card shop owner came to the a small stage. Yami shrugged and didn't mind it, as less attention the better.

"Welcome everyone to the first tournament for our city amateur dueling tournament. I'd like to welcome all of the participants here!" Everyone clapped for them. "Now. To get things started, we're going to have our qualifying rounds over on those tables." Everyone went and surrounded the tables. "Okay. Our first qualifier is with George Kalwski and Jaden Yuki!" Everyone clapped and Yusei noticed that not a soul recognized Jaden or his real name.

"And for our next one: Richard Busch and Yami Yugi!" Everyone again clapped and Yusei again noticed that no one seemed to recognize him. Not even a little. It was still so odd for Yusei to know just how good these guys are, but yet no one knows how good they truly are. The rest of the matches were announced and they all watched as people started drawing cards. After a "lets duel," the matches all got started. From a short distance away, Yusei and the gang tried to watch both matches at once.

"What's going on?" Akiza asked. Yusei tried to squint. "I don't know," he replied. "What's going on Yusei?" Leo asked, "I can't see a thing!" Yusei shrugged as he whispered to him. "I don't know." Leo frowned and soon the group agreed that they had no idea what was going on. They did see that Jaden and Yami were talking a lot and explaining a lot of stuff. "That's either a really good or really bad thing," Yusei whispered to Akiza, who agreed.

Out of no where, Jaden stood up. "I win!" he proclaim and everyone cheered as Jaden gave his signature move. A few short minutes later, Yami stood up, and proclaimed victory. Everyone cheered as they both went over to the group and shook hands. "What was going on?" Jack asked, "We couldn't really see from far away." Yami nodded. "I was in control the whole match," he replied simply. "Really? Me too!" Jaden replied. They both laughed and everyone smiled.

Once the other two matches were over, it was down to four. "The winner of these two matches will face the top two seeds," the owner reminded them. They all nodded and the matches started. This time, they were able to hear Jaden and Yami explaining their affects some more. However, it wasn't like a normal standing duel, where they could actually see what's going on. However, just like before, it seemed like only a few turns and Jaden and Yami were done.

"I win!" Jaden replied, "And that's game." He then gave his signature trademark. Yami stood up as well and was victorious. As they finished though, this time, Yusei caught both of them shaking hands, as part of the tournament rules. Since Yami and Jaden were on opposite sides of the qualifying bracket, Yami on top would face the top seed and Jaden on the bottom automatically faced the second seed. When there was a small break in-between the matches, Yusei told Akiza about the handshake at the end of the matches.

"I think that should be mandatory on all duels," he replied. "Why?" Akiza asked. "Because at the end of the day, it's just a game," Yusei replied. Akiza smiled. "I agree," she replied, "Do you think that people take dueling way too seriously?" Yusei looked over at one of the competitors and he seemed to be going through some sort of stretching routine, almost as if he was going to run a marathon.

"When you're doing that, I think you're going a bit too far," he replied. Akiza nodded. "I agree. I mean...dueling can be serious at times, but I think it should be more based on having fun." Yusei smiled and put a arm around her. "So do I," he replied. He looked around and gave Akiza a quick peck on the cheek. Akiza smiled and now the real tournament was about to begin.

"The first round will be here on the tables, with the quarterfinals on your duel disks," the owner announced. Everyone nodded and the duels started. Yami looked up at his opponent. Unlike the last two matches, where the duelists were much more friendly, this guy was all in. Jaden had the same feeling and became much more focused. As everyone watched, Yusei's heart sank when he saw Yami frowning. Akiza's did the same when Jaden had a frustrated look on his face. Leo and Luna spotted smiles on the opponent's faces, which was a bad sign too.

Suddenly, Jaden flipped over a trap card, and then played a card. Then another and then, what appeared to be, a Sunchro Summon. The player he was playing had his cards fall out of his hand and onto the table as Jaden called a attack. The player stood up and was upset. Jaden was smiling like a ray of sunshine and his opponent frowned like a downpour of rain. He grudge fully shook hands, grabbed his deck, and stormed out of the shop.

"It appears our number two seed has lost," the owner said in amazement. "What! That can't be!" a duelist cried. The owner looked over and saw Yami with his arms folded and smile on his face. "I win," he said coolly. Again, the opponent angrily shook his hand and stormed out. "It appears our top two seeds have both lost in the first round," the owner said over the microphone. Everyone gasped as Jaden and Yami congratulated one another.

For Akiza, Leo, Luna, Jack, and Crow, they were stunned as to beating the top two duelists in the tournament. "How's are seeds determined anyways?" Leo asked, as he started to second guess the top two's abilities. A man next to them explained it to them. "You see, each tournament, in our city tournament, has a standard points system, with more points going to higher finishes than the last. Since your two friends didn't compete in any of them, they had zero, and that's why they had to qualify first. As for the other two, they won most of the tournaments here last year. Both of those two were the top two in our city and then were one of the best in the local region. They then lost at State and that's why they got the top two seeds, because people thought they were shoe ins to win here again." They were all taken by surprise.

"So, Yami and Jaden both just beat guys that were one of the best in the State?" The man nodded and Leo was excited. "Wow! I know four of the best duelists in the world and now I know two of the best in the State." Yami and Jaden came over. "Hold on Leo, we haven't made it to state yet," Yami replied. Leo went up to them. "Can I have you two sign my face?" he asked. "You never asked me to sign your face," Yusei noted. Leo just grinned as Yami and Jaden took a marker and signed one of Leo's cheeks.

Once the other duels were over, it was time for the quarterfinals. Now that they were going to use duel disks, which Jaden and Yami were offered Crow and Jack's so they wouldn't have to buy new ones, everyone could watch each duel at a time. Yami and Jaden's duel were in-between the other ones (thus going second and last). So, after the first duel, Yami was up next. He stepped up and they told it other it was time to duel.

After the first turn, Leo already could see some similar stuff in Yami's deck, that was similar to Dexter's. He saw the similar type and even a couple of cards that Dexter used himself. Leo cheered loudly when Yami's main monster attacked, bringing his opponent's life points down to only a few hundred. It was only a couple of turns later, when Yami played a trap, and Yami was left standing.

"An amazing display of dueling by Yami Yugi!" the owner said over a microphone, as one of the other workers helped call the play-by-play. Everyone cheered, but was also in aww of how well Yami was. "Maybe it's because he's good friends with Yusei and all those guys," is what most people were saying about him. After he came over and another duel went, it was Jaden's turn.

At first, Jaden struggled. However, he quickly turned it around with a couple of brilliant moves. He soon found his opponent on her knees and Jaden smiled as he had defeated her. Everyone cheered and it was now time for the semifinals. Yami and Jaden instantly thought of something. 'What happens if we both get to the finals?' they thought. Just before the matches were about to begin, Yusei spotted them talking to each other.

Akiza noticed it as well and Yusei put his arm firmly behind her back. "Do you think something's going wrong?" she asked. Yusei shook his head. "I doubt it," he replied and he quickly put his other arm around her for a moment. Akiza did the same and they quickly went back to being normal, but they stayed only inches apart from each other. The owner flipped a coin and, this time, Jaden went first.

His match went surprisingly smooth, as he landed the right cards all within the first three turns. He had a stack of monsters out on the field and, even as his opponent attacked one, Jaden had a special effect to get them back. "He sure is doing well," Jack complimented him, "But of course, I knew I bet on the right horse, because I see talent when I see it." Everyone rolled their eyes and went back to the duel.

It was only a couple attacks and Jaden found himself with a spot in the finals. He cheered and so did the rest of the group. "In stunning fashion, our local qualifier has made his way all the way to the finals! Can Yami do the same thing?" he wondered as he stepped onto the field. He smiled confidently and, rightfully so. Jaden cheered him on, along with the group.

Yami closed his eyes and looked over at all of them. It was just like before and Yami suddenly didn't feel like he was in another time period. It was like he was back in his own time with Yugi, Tristan, Joey, and Tea. He then focused on his duel and believed in the "heart of the cards." Sure enough, the cards didn't fail him, and he soundly defeated his opponent.

"What an amazing set of duelists we have for the finals!" the other employee noted, "And now it will be time for the consolation match." Once third place was decided, it was time for the final duel. Luna pulled on Yusei's pants. "Yusei, who do we root for?" Luna asked. Yusei shrugged. "Root for both of them," he replied, "Either way, this is as good as we can ask for. Both of our friends will finish first and second. Just let the best duelist win."

The twins nodded and they both cheered their hearts out. Unlike the other matches, which got tense at some points, but soon became easy wins, this one was tense the whole way through. Yami and Jaden went back and forth and the leader was never truly leading, as the other countered right back. As Yami was going to release his final attack, Jaden played a trap. The monster still attacked, but both monsters were destroyed. Everyone gasped as their life points were equally down to zero. The announcer looked at them and then shouted,

"It's a tie!"

Everyone was stunned and weren't sure what to do. The announcer quickly went up to both Jaden and Yami, who had shook hands. He put both in the air, as if to declare who won. "Both of these men put on a great show and I think it's great that both of them leave here winners! What do you say folks?" Everyone soon applauded and cheered. Yami and Jaden's friends were all happy as they soon brought out a small podium. However, they had Jaden and Yami both stand on top next to one another. They each got a small gold metal for their effort, as the owner used the next tournament's medal to make two. He promised he would order some more and be sure to have two for next time.

Later, they all walked home smiling. "Oh yeah. I have something I want to announce," Yusei said as they entered into the garage. Everyone went down the steps as Yusei and Akiza stood above them. "Akiza and I..." Yusei turned to Akiza and they shared a kiss on the lips. "Yuck!" Leo said as they turned back to them. "Are officially going to act like boyfriend and girlfriend," Akiza finished.

They both looked at Leo. "So, you'd better get used it Leo," Yusei noted. "Because we'll be kissing a lot," Akiza added. Yusei and Akiza exchanged smiles, as everyone went up to congratulate them on finally getting to act affectionate towards one another. The day had been one of the best days since Yami and Jaden had came and there were only even better ones soon to come.

**A/N: Thanks for your patience!**


	12. Detective Jack

**Chapter 12!  
**

**Bentstua: I usually try to avoid having names of decks, as I know in the future, it's uncertain if they will be playable or not in real life. However, I think that Yami plays Dexter's deck from Tag Force 6 called, "Angel Inside." It's not the exact same, but it's probably very similar. I think Jaden might play a warrior deck, since I know the show talked about it and Warriors kind of remind me of Jaden's deck. As for cards, I worry some could be banned in the future as well and I'd hate to have a story with banned cards in it. Plus, the story's focus is less on dueling and more on romance. So, that's the reason for the "simulated" duels.  
**

**I am grateful you liked the Chapter and, don't worry about Leo, he still looks up to Yusei.**

**Flame-Metal-Heart: That's going to be addressed very soon. I left a small hint in the first Chapter (it's hard to find though). However, it will be addressed after a small arc, which might lead to the end of the story.**

**A/N: I hope this Chapter does not make anyone uncomfortable. If it does, then I am sorry and apologize.**

As Yami sat down, he took off his medal. Jaden came in and took his off as well. "Good play," Jaden said as they fist bumped. "Thanks. You too," Yami replied, "I was worried there for a minute that the cat would have gotten out of the bag." Jaden smiled. "Well...next time, lets not make it quite so obvious." Yami nodded. "Plus, I'm sure we have a target on our backs now that we beat the top two seeds." Jaden shrugged. "Eh. I don't really care. That just makes me play even better."

Back in the living room, Yusei held Akiza in his arms. He was so happy that he gave her another kiss on the neck. "You're so wonderful," Yusei commented into her ear, "I'm so happy being with you." Akiza smiled as she looked over her shoulder. "I'm so happy being with you," she replied and they nudged each other. They both sighed happily as Jack and Crow sighed unhappily. They had seen Yusei and Akiza going at it so often now that it was getting annoying to watch.

"How much more are you two going to do?" Jack asked, "Akiza's got to get home! It's a school night!" Akiza and Yusei sighed as they knew Jack was right. "Just a little bit more," Yusei replied and he kissed Akiza on the cheek. Akiza sighed again, as she knew she had to get going. She got up and so did Yusei. "All right. I'd better head out." Yusei nodded. "Okay." He hugged her and they shared a kiss. "Have a safe trip home," Yusei replied. Akiza smiled and then the twins came over. After saying goodbye, they all left and Yusei sat down.

"So Yusei, now that Akiza and yourself can't keep your hands off of one another, are you thinking about her more?" Yusei was dumbfounded. "I've always thought about her a lot," he replied, "Even at the Fortune Cup, she was always on my mind." Crow rolled his eyes. "So you were fantasizing about her? Even way back then?" Yusei looked at him. at first upset, but he soon held his fire. "Well...um..." Yusei said, trying to think of how to answer him.

"Admit Yusei. You've always found her attractive," Jack replied, "Not that I blame you. Akiza has everything. Well...almost everything." Yusei frowned. "What do you mean, 'Almost everything,' Jack?" Jack shrugged. "Nothing. I'm just saying that Carly has everything a guy wants a girl." Yusei frowned, as Jack still didn't explain. "Name what that is Jack! Stop hiding it!" Jack picked up his cup of coffee and smiled.

"Akiza doesn't come off as being very skilled in the bedroom."

Yusei got up and thought it would be best if he just walked away. Why did it matter how Akiza was in the bedroom? Yusei wasn't hopping into bed like Jack was with Carly. Yusei had self control, granted he got rid of it in a less risky and more private manner. Yusei just sighed as he sat on a chair, next to his computer. He decided to turn on his computer as he knew that he needed to cool down.

If there was anything to cool him down, it was Akiza. However, she wasn't here right now and he didn't want to call her or be the boyfriend who couldn't let her go. Yami and Jaden had already warned him about doing that, as it can be a real turn off for the opposite person. However, there was one way he could see her, without being a bother. He was starting to get excited. He clicked in and typed in his password. He then smiled as he clicked a couple of times and loaded something. He go up and quickly went to the bathroom. Crow watched him as he then wemt to the laundry basket. Crow was confused as Yusei tried to get something and, once he found it, he quickly ran back to his computer.

Later, Yusei was feeling tired and went to the bathroom. His way of relaxing had helped big time. Crow was heading for bed and spotted Yusei next to the bathroom door. "Oh hey Yusei, I thought you went to bed." Yusei shook his head. "No. No. I was just needing to go to the bathroom." Crow looked at him funny. "Weren't you just in there like five minutes ago?" Yusei shrugged.

"Yeah, but I didn't get all of it," he replied and then quickly scooted inside. "Don't worry. I just drank a lot of water tonight. Okay? Have a good night Crow." Crow just blinked and wondered why Yusei was acting so weird. The next day, Yusei groaned as he rolled around on his bed. "Umm. Akiza," Yusei moaned, "Wouldn't it be nice to have you with me right now?" Yusei smiled as he hugged the covers. He could picture Akiza in his head. Smiling at him. Laughing with him. Kissing him. Hugging him. In a very revealing outfit.

Yusei suddenly sat up. "Wait! Come on Yusei!" he said to himself, "Don't look at her like that. After all, she's your girlfriend and she had a very rough life. After all, what would she say if she knew you were thinking about her like that?" Yusei leaned back and laid down. "Just...think about her in a good way. And how she's great in many other ways." Yusei turned to his side.

"Ohhh. But she's always going to be attractive. Even if she becomes a little old lady, she's still going to be smoking hot." Yusei sighed as he decided to get up. When he got dressed, shaved, and went downstairs, Carly was there with Jack. "Oh. Hey Jack. When did Carly come over?" Jack looked over at him. "Oh, she came over last night," he replied. Yusei went to the fridge. "Really? I didn't hear anything," he replied as he got the skim milk and orange juice out. "Well...that's good," Jack replied, "Because we were getting pretty wild." Yusei rolled his eyes as he knew what that meant. "Oh great Jack. I'm sure Crow was loving that." Jack didn't seem upset.

"Actually, Crow went over to his orphan's house, to check in on them." Yusei was confused even more, as he was so late to this information. It was almost as if he was the last person to hear about a surprise party. "Why did he go there? I thought that he was going to bed here. Heck, I even saw him in his pajamas." Carly answered for Jack. "He got a call from the orphans that one of them had a fever. When he headed out, Jack called me over, and we got busy." Yusei sighed and looked away from them. "Is there ever a time when you two can't get it on?" he asked, "Whenever I hear about Jack being left alone, it always leads to you two getting together and getting it on." Jack smiled. "Well...it's the power of a man's will and woman's willingness to get it on with him. Of course, Akiza comes off as the girl who would only do it when she wanted to." Yusei didn't get it.

Why was Jack so interested or thinking he knew everything about Akiza and his relationship? Let alone what they were doing physically? Yusei didn't want to know how many times Jack and Carly got it on in a week. However, Jack acted as though it was major breaking news every time Carly came over and did it with him. Yusei just bit his lip as he started hearing about, "how good," it was last night. When he got done eating his cereal and oatmeal, Yusei jogged out of the room. He couldn't get out of there soon enough.

For the rest of the day, Yusei didn't get any contact from Akiza. Not even after she was done with school. Yusei sighed as he missed her and he thought about what Jack said. How it was a woman's willingness and a man's urge to do it. Still, that didn't seem right to him. Yusei would love to have been even more affectionate with Akiza on their first kiss. Heck, it could have easily gotten as far as Jack and Carly. Her parents weren't there and they were all alone.

However, Akiza had something that both Martha and himself also had: control. Yusei wasn't going to force Akiza to take her clothes off and Yusei knew she wouldn't do the same thing to him. Akiza wanted to wait and he remembered how tight the Izinski's had to be with their image. Akiza's father was a senator and having Yusei getting Akiza pregnant (or risking her getting pregnant) would set off a big media frenzy.

Finally, Yusei reached that point in the day, where he missed Akiza so much, that he needed his way out. He went to the bathroom and got ready. He then got his other stuff and sat down on his computer. He looked through the stuff and then found the same thing he was looking for yesterday. Yusei then took his blanket from the bed and put it over his lap. He smiled as he looked at the screen and stared at it for a few more minutes.

This time, as Yusei left the laptop, he bumped into Jack on the way to the bathroom. Much like the day before with Crow, Jack was getting ready for bed. "Hey Yusei! Weren't you just in there?" Yusei smiled as he scratched the back of his head. "Yeah. I just needed to go to the bathroom again. I didn't get all my urine out." Jack was confused. "How did that happen?"

"I...uh...was looking at something online and wanted to get back to it. So, I was in a hurry." Jack shrugged. "Umm...okay." He stepped aside and then let Yusei go in. He wondered what Yusei was doing online that was so big. The biggest thing was that he was so excited that he forgot to pee. Jack waited outside until Yusei was done. When Yusei came out, he was stunned that Jack was still there.

"Jack...did you need something?" Yusei wondered out loud. Jack folded his arms. "Yusei, what was this online thing that made you forget to pee?" Yusei tried hard to think of something believable. "It was...some Duel Runner parts." Jack didn't buy it. Yusei hadn't been interested in Duel Runners since his Runner was taken away. Not only that, but Yusei didn't seem upset when Crow and Jack went out for a ride. Jack even considered letting Yusei drive his Runner, to help him if he was having any withdrawal symptoms.

However, Yusei didn't have any. In fact, he seemed to be smiling when he told them, "No." Jack always thought that Crow, Yusei, Akiza, and himself were good enough to go pro in any kind of dueling. Yet, Yusei and Akiza didn't seem to be in that boat. Maybe it was another reason why they were meant to be together. They were so good at dueling, but didn't want to follow something that they were good at. Jack decided to press Yusei some more on these great Runner parts.

"Really? Show me this parts." Yusei nodded. "Okay," he replied and brought him over to the desk, with his laptop on it. Yusei sat down and typed in the password. He got to a search engine and then typed in, "Duel Runner parts." When the screen was finished loading and the results were up, he then clicked on one that he recognized.

"See? Look at this nice axle," Yusei commented. Jack shrugged. "It's nice, but it's not so good that I would forget to pee. I would do that if Carly wanted to...you know." Yusei rolled his eyes as Jack and Carly's love life was starting to really get on his nerves. "Look. I thought it was cool and I just forgot to pee Jack. No big deal." Yusei got up.

"I'm heading for bed," he replied and headed out to his bed. Jack's eyes narrowed. He didn't think that Yusei was really looking at Duel Runner parts. It was something else. He wanted to know what it really was and he was going to find out soon enough. The answer was not far away or hard to find at all. He went back to his bed and slept.

The next morning, Jack sat up and got out of bed. He noticed Crow starting to wake up as well and he quickly got up as well. "Come on," Jack replied, "Yusei's not up yet. There's something I wanted to talk to you about." Jack got up and went to the bathroom. Crow was still tired. Having to spend that previous night with his orphans was unbearable. It really screwed up how much sleep he got and how much he was going to be able to do during the day, even after a full night's sleep.

He moaned as he got up and followed Jack. Sure, Jack and Crow had their arguments, but when it came to important stuff, like this situation for example, he was going to make sure he put his differences aside. He went to the bathroom, once Jack was done, and did his business. He then got to go downstairs and sat at the table with Jack. He then looked up as he poured his milk into his bowl.

"So what is it Jack?" Crow asked as he looked at Jack munching on his favorite cereal. "Yusei's acting strange," he replied, "Ever since I've been bugging him about being physical with Akiza, he seems to be doing weird stuff before bed." Crow raised his eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Do you remember when you told me yesterday that Yusei had to go to the bathroom right after he was just in there?" Crow nodded. "Well...the same thing happened to me last night. I caught Yusei going into the bathroom right after he was just in there. I asked him what it was and he said that he was going to look at some Duel Runner parts. When I looked at it, it wasn't that big of a deal. and he hasn't been into it ever since he had his Duel Runner taken away."

Crow nodded. "Yeah. Yusei clearly wants to go to a different field that you and I don't want to go in. He wants to do something that is not in the same area code as dueling. It was cool to think that three of us, at one point, would have been pro dueling together. However, it seems as though he is looking at going into a desk job or a much more typical job." Jack nodded.

"Yeah, so him lying about looking at Duel Runner parts, just before he was going to bed, is coming off as really strange to me. Not to mention that we both caught him doing it." Crow nodded. "I'll take a look at his laptop right now and try to find anything." He finished his bowl and then went over to his laptop. He looked at the history and it didn't offer any clues. It was still on his Duel Runner parts page. Crow looked at it and it wasn't impressive, just as Jack said.

Crow didn't get it. His laptop seemed normal. He checked the day before and there was nothing unusual in the history section. He sighed as his search came up empty. He looked over his shoulder and saw that Yusei was coming over to him. "Hey Crow! What's going on on the information superhighway?" Crow shrugged.

"Just...looking," he replied as he wanted Yusei to go away and quit bothering him.

"Oh. Okay," Yusei replied and walked away. Crow frowned and hoped that Jack would have better luck than he did. He went back to Jack and reported the news to him. "Well...I'll look at him tonight. I get the feeling that if Yusei did it once, then twice, he'll do it again." Jack then got up and left, as Yusei was coming downstairs. He didn't want Yusei to get suspicious on his intentions.

When Yami and Jaden got up, they started talking to one another as they got dressed. "Do you think Yusei and Akiza are getting together as planned?" Jaden asked. Yami was a bit hesistant. "Well...they like to be affectionate with one another, but I don't think they've really been physical with one another. That could be a problem." Jaden agreedi. "Well...we can make that our goal this week to talk to Yusei about it." Yami agreed and the switched topics. "So, what do you think we'll do with the decks we built? Once we leave I mean." Jaden didn't know. "I thought about just leaving it here for Yusei? But will the cards stay there? I mean, our presence will be eliminated. So, how does that work?" Yami didn't know.

"I don't know, but I'm definitely giving my deck to Leo and Luna's friend Dexter. At the worst case scenario, I would give it to him anyways, even if it's gone along with us," Yami replied, "I still want him to know that he has a really great deck. It's powerful with many of the cards I found. Luna even seems to sense that he has some self-confidence issues. I want him to know that he's a great guy with a great deck." Jaden nodded.

"The one thing I want to do, besides help Yusei and Akiza, is to help their friends. Yusei has some great people in his life and they deserve to be happy. Yami wanted that too. It was hard seeing people like the twins having to grow up without parents. However, they did have each other. Yami remembered how sad and lonely Dexter seemed. "If only Dexter had a friend to be with him a lot of the time," Yami remarked, "It would make him so much happier." Jaden agreed. However, Jaden had no idea on how to do that.

That night, Jack watched as Yusei left the bathroom, he went to the closet and digged through the laundry basket. "Looking for something?" Jack asked as he came over. "Oh. Hi Jack," Yusei replied, "Just looking for a sock. I think I'm missing a pair and need to complete it." Jack smiled.

"Losing another sock? Or did Crow take it to his orphans to make it into a sock puppet?" Yusei laughed. "Yeah. That was pretty good, but they did put on a good show with them. Plus, Martha was more than happy to get us all a new bag full of new ones." Jack smiled. "Yeah. I just wish Crow would have told us when he was taking them. All I could find was ones with holes in them." They both smiled and laughed.

"Oh. Well...I'll be heading back," Yusei replied as he headed for his dresser downstairs. Jack waved, but soon turned serious. He watched as Yusei went downstairs, next to his bed, and sat on a chair. He then spotted him going onto his laptop. He took a blanket form the edge of the bed and put it over his lap. "What's he doing?" Jack whispered to himself. He soon saw Yusei click a few times and then lean forward. After a few minutes, Yusei continued to stare at the screen and Jack was getting bored.

"This is stupid," Jack replied, "What is he looking at that is so spectacular?" Jack leaned forward, but still could not see what it was. Yusei was so into whatever it was, that Jack didn't think that Yusei would notice him coming down the steps. As soon as Jack started to walk down towards him, Yusei started closing out, and shutting down the laptop. Jack growled and went back.

"Dang it!" he muttered and watched as Yusei went back upstairs to the bathroom. 'He's doing that thing again,' Jack thought. He quickly ran downstairs and took Yusei's laptop. 'Yusei probably wouldn't like it if I was spending all day on his laptop. So I'll just take it and see if I can quickly find something.' Jack quickly ran back upstairs and turned out the lights. He sneaked back to his room and watched as Yusei went out of the bathroom and back downstairs.

Jack sighed happily as Yusei didn't make any moves or notice that his laptop was gone. Jack quietly shut the door. He turned around and saw Crow sitting up. "Jack, what are you doing?" Crow asked as he moved his eye mask out of his eyes. "I'm looking at our laptop," he replied. Crow looked at him funny. "Isn't it Yusei's?" he asked. Jack shrugged. "Hey! We all use it. So, it's technically all of ours. We only say it's Yusei's because he found it and then you fixed it up Crow." Jack quickly hopped onto his own bed. He then typed in the password and started it up.

"Yeah. Well, you get going on that," Crow replied, "Thankfully I have this mask." He then slid it over his eyes. "I'm going back to sleep. Good luck on your search." As Crow laid back down, Jack stared intently at the screen. There wasn't anything weird in the history section, just like last time. Still, Jack looked through them. There was nothing cool or interesting either. They were popular sports sites that focused on things other than dueling like baseball, golf, and even car racing. Jack sighed as Yusei seemed to be drifting farther and farther away from dueling. Jack sighed as he clicked on the "dueling" section and saw an article about Team Unicorn.

'No. Focus on this,' Jack thought, 'Maybe it's something else...' Jack suddenly got an idea. 'Wait! Maybe it's not online, but something else!' Jack quickly closed out it and started looking on the computer itself. He found files that he even knew what they were. They were old files from the WRGP that were now meaningless. Outlines for all of their Runner's, including a special one for Akiza's Runner. Jack remembered when they were all making it, how Yusei got so serious about it. The moment they changed, even a slight thing on it, they had to report it to him. Yusei wanted it to be perfect for her. Just another sign that Yusei clearly loved her.

Still, Jack shifted through the garbage and kept looking. He then looked through other areas with other files. He kept sifting, until he spotted something that took a few clicks to see. He then found a folder entitled, "Secret." Jack's eyes narrowed. "I've never seen that one before." He clicked on it and it then lead him to two files. One with the title, "Together," and the other was "Alone." Jack clicked on the former one and then saw a bunch of photos.

In the photos, were Yusei and Akiza. Some were from the WRGP, but most were from everyday life. There were ones here at the garage, the victory party they had once ZONE and the WRGP was over and even more. There were some at the twins' place and a few at the Izinski's that Jack never knew about before. The thing that surprised Jack was that, photos even with other people in it, were zoomed in. That way, it only showed Yusei and Akiza being side-by-side.

They were smiling, looking at one another, or just being happy. Jack even had to smile as they did look nice together. He felt happy that Yusei found somebody to (pretty obviously) spend the rest of eternity with. Still, why hadn't Yusei shown these to them? Plus, it wasn't some secret, long, and hard process. It didn't take much work to copy and paste these photos. Plus, even Jack knew how to cut and zoom the photos in. Heck, the orphans at Crow's knew how to do it with the computer Martha got them.

Still, where did Yusei get these from? Jack clicked on a full shot of Yusei and Akiza at the WRGP. Jack rolled his eyes as he saw it was from a news story about them. He then clicked on one at the Izinski manner. He then saw the file that came from was "Izinski camera" and "Martha camera." Jack could only imagine the hassle Yusei had with Martha and the Izinski parents. Talk about loving the couple. He finally saw the ones at the garage were from Leo and Luna's camera. Jack now turned his attention to the other file.

When he clicked on it, Jack's face turned red. He was met with a zoomed in shot of Akiza's chest. Jack flipped through the files and saw it wasn't just her melons. He butt, stomach, legs, etc. were all zoomed in. There was even one with Akiza's head out of the shot and the rest of her body was left. Jack saw that it was done in the exact same way as before, only more zoomed in. Jack was surprised that Yusei had this, but he soon got a smile on his face.

"I always knew Yusei was secretly a pervert, but I never expected this."

Jack shifted through the rest of the photos. They were all the same as the first few. "But what was Yusei doing with these? Just staring at them?" Jack then remembered how Yusei had left his blanket, that was suppose to be for his bed, over his lap. Jack chuckled and had to try and stay quiet. Yusei was staring at a screen, of fanservice shots of Akiza, with a blanket in his lap. There was only one thing Yusei could be doing and Jack was going to give him crap about this.

The next morning, Jack decided to get up earlier than usual. As he did, he heard Yami and Jaden were in the other room talking. "So, do you want throw the match or should I?" Jaden asked. Jack quckly gasped and listened in. Inside the room, Yami and Jaden were laughing as they looked at their decks. "Do you think the same thing will happen next week?" Jaden asked. Yami shrugged. "Not if things go according to plan," he replied, "After all, we got our first goal out of the way. Now, we just need to keep our plan going. If we stop now, then we'll never get to keep it up." Jaden agreed. "So, do you want me to lose or do you wanna take the fall?" Yami shrugged. "I don't know."

Jack was stunned. "Were Jaden and Yami going to throw dueling matches on purpose? Jack couldn't believe it! Another incredible secret and it fell right into his lap. Jack had to tell someone, but he knew Yusei would spill the beans. He decided that, with Crow thinking Yusei was acting strange, it would be best to tell him about this other big discovery. Plus, Yami and Jaden would have to listen to Jack, because he's the one who gave them the money to keep going.

Crow was eating breakfast, as Jack raced over to him. "Crow! You're never going to believe it!" Jack cried. He then told him about finding Yusei's pictures and Yami and Jaden talking about throwing matches on purpose. "Wow!" Crow replied once he was all done, "That is a big deal. Glad that you told me first." He took a spoonful of cereal. "Yes and now we have to confront them. All three of them," Jack replied, "However, I think it would be best to do Yusei's when Akiza's around. That way, she won't be surprised by finding it out later." Crow agreed.

"Man Jack. You're thinking smart for once." Jack was mad at first, but then took the compliment. "Maybe we should call you 'Detective Jack.' Get you the hat, outfit, and everything," Crow added. Jack smiled proudly. "I do think that I would look good in that," he replied, "In fact, once I solve the case, I'll go out and buy it." The best part, though, was catching the criminal red handed.

Later, Akiza and the twins came over after school. Jack watched as Yusei quickly greeted Akiza affectionately. Jack spotted the laptop nearby and Jack was the last one to use it. As they all sat down, Akiza and the twins talked about their day. However, once there was a break, Jack stood up. "Hey Yusei. There's something online that I wanted to ask you about. Would it be okay if I showed you it?" Yusei shrugged. "Sure," he replied and took his arms from around Akiza.

"In fact," Jack replied, "I think it's so important that all of you should see it." Luna and Leo were curious as to what Jack found online. They all crowded around and Jack turned the computer on. "It should be all set and ready to go," Jack noted as he typed in the password. The screen loaded and everyone gasped. "Boobies," Leo cried. Yusei frowned. "Jack, you wanted to show me a picture of Akiza's chest?" he questioned, "That's not funny." He quickly and defensively put his arms back around his girlfriend.

"No Yusei. I actually found this in a file, on our computer..." Jack smiled at the last part. "Which was clearly done by you." Akiza didn't understand. "What are you talking about?" Akiza asked. Jack went back and showed them the file. He then clicked on it and slowly moved from picture to picture of Akiza all alone, with her body parts zoomed in on. Akiza then turned to Yusei and frowned."Yusei! Is this true?" She let go of him and Yusei stammered. "Um...well..." Yusei sighed. Akiza frowned. "Is that all you see me as?" she asked, "As a trophy wife?" Leo and Luna were confused. "What's that?" Leo asked. "And what do you mean wife?" Luna noted. Akiza sighed. "It means that he only sees me for my looks and nothing else," she replied, "And I meant girlfriend. Not wife."

"Akiza, let me explain," Yusei replied. Akiza turned to him and crossed her arms. Yusei was sadden that she discovered this, but he owed her the truth. He knew that someone would find it eventually and want him to explain. He didn't want to do it like this, but he really had no choice. He decided to be honest and let Akiza know everything. That way, they could move on from this uncomfortable moment.

"Yes Akiza. I made the file. However, I also made another file. One that was a lot less raunchy." He quickly grabbed the mouse and then showed them all the other file. The one Jack didn't expose to the world. Yusei quickly went through the pictures and showed the couple together. Everyone stared in aww at the screen. "I know this doesn't make up for the other one, but I wanted to show you that it's not all bad." Yusei then turned to Akiza and sighed. "Look. I know that it seems weird, but I think you're smoking hot Akiza. And there are times in the day, especially stressful days, that I need to get away from everything. And I do that, by looking at pictures of you." Jack then had to add something. "And what about putting a blanket over yourself?" Jack asked. Yusei sighed and everyone looked at him.

"All right!" Yusei shouted, "When I look at the photos I...kind of...you know..." Akiza knew what it was and so did the twins. Leo laughed as Luna tried hard not to as well. Akiza then went up to him, so that their noses were almost touching. Yusei thought for sure Akiza was going to explode on him. However, she put a hand on his shoulder and smiled. "Yusei. It's perfectly normal at any age to do that. Besides, there's um..." Yusei looked up as Akiza blushed. She looked shyly away and said, "Something I wanted to show you." Yusei was baffled.

Akiza grabbed her school suitcase and opened it. She took out her laptop and started it up. "Wait! You keep a laptop in there?" Yusei asked. "I keep a lot of things in there," Akiza replied. She then opened a file and everyone's eyes went wide. Inside of it, were pictures of Yusei. They ranged from his normal attire, to his black sleeveless shirt, to no shirt, and a couple when Jack and Crow took Yusei's pants, leaving him in his boxers. Leo and Luna laughed at those ones as well. "Wait, you made this?" Yusei asked. Akiza blushed and nodded. "I...like to look at the pictures of you too," she replied, "Just like you do. At the end of the day and especially on stressful days." Yusei was confused. "So why were you upset over me looking at pictures of you when you do the exact same thing?" Akiza looked down. "It's just that..." She sighed. "I know guys look at me for my looks, but I know it's not the same for you Yusei. However, I'm sure people find it weird that I find an average looking guy so attractive. But that's the way it is and I like it that way." Yusei was now looking away.

"And..." Akiza went up to him and smiled. "I do also...you know...when I look at the pictures as well." Yusei turned to her. "Really?" he asked and she nodded. Yusei could finally relax again. He quickly wrapped his arms around her. "Well...I can't stress enough that I don't just like you for your looks Akiza. You're not a trophy girlfriend. Your heart is even bigger and more important to me. Plus, I will always find you attractive. No matter what age." Akiza giggled as Yusei gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"The same is true for you Yusei. Your heart is much more important than you looks and you will always be attractive in my eyes." Akiza gave him a kiss on the cheek and the two rubbed noses. "And don't worry about the file Yusei. You can keep it." Yusei smiled. "Okay. Just as long as you keep mine." Leo and Luna smiled as they watched and so did Yami and Jaden. Jack frowned as he sat, as this was suppose to be a big discovery. Yet, it was bringing Yusei and Akiza even closer.

"Hold on a minute!" Jack shouted as he pointed in the air. Everyone looked at him and he pointed his finger at Yami and Jaden. "I also discovered something else!" he continued to shout, "These two were going to throw matches at the next tournament." Everyone gasped and looked at them, but Jaden and Yami smiled. "You mean the ones with little kids?" Jaden asked.

"Huh?" Jack asked and Yami explained. "Just as I went to the bathroom last week, just before the finals..."

_Flashback_

As Yami headed for the bathroom, for a much needed bathroom break, a little boy with black hair ran up to him. "Excuse me Yami?" he asked and Yami spotted the boy. Yami then bended down to his height. "What is it?" he asked, "Do you need any help?" The boy looked down and tapped his fingertips to the other nervously. "Well..see...me and my friends saw just how good you and that Jaden guy dueled today." A bunch of little kids came up. "And I was wondering if you guys could teach us some moves?" Yami looked up and saw all the kids for the first time. They all looked nervously at him and Yami smiled.

"Well...I'd be more than happy to," he replied, "And I'm sure the same goes for Jaden." The boy smiled. "You mean it?" Yami looked at him and then the other kids. "Yeah. I do," he replied and all the kids cheered. "Just be sure to meet me after the duels next week and we can play some more." The kids said they would and they all went off, leaving Yami to re-leave his bladder.

_Flashback Ends_

Yami smiled as Jaden did too. Jack just looked stunned and was confused by all of this. "But...but you guys were suppose to be throwing matches and making it look like you lost!" Jaden tilted his forehead. "Do you really thin we'd throw matches on purpose?" he asked. Jack just sat there stunned. "Uh...uh...uh..." Yami then made a point. "Especially when our earnings will let us eat something besides Ramen and maybe even let us eat real meat for once?" Jack just sat there stunned.

"Well Jack, looks like your investigation had a few holes in it," Crow replied, "I guess you won't need to be called 'Detective Jackl' anymore." Yusei turned to him. "Detective Jack?" hs asked and everyone looked at Jack. "It...it was a stupid name!" Jack replied and quickly stood up. "You guys are all stupid. If it wasn't for you stupid kids I'd look really smart right now!" he replied as he stormed off upstairs. Everyone else just laughed.

**A/N: Sorry for slow updates. I have three tests this week and need time to study.**

**Thanks for all your support and thanks for all the views and reviews! It means a lot!**


	13. School Dance Deception

**Chapter 13!**

**Bentstua: Glad we cleared the air on deck types. Now, I just like to make the stories so that they don't seem really dated or that people couldn't understand years from now (besides stuff in the show like they guys' laptop). **

**A/N: I have had this idea for quite a while and I think now is the time I will put it in. After that, it'll probably mainly focus on Yusei, Akiza, Yami, and Jaden.**

**Please enjoy and I apologize for the wait!** **14,000+ words is a lot to write!**

As Yami and Jaden were getting ready for their second week of dueling, Jaden stared at his deck. "Well...here we go," he replied. Yami looked at him funny. "Why do you say that?" he asked, "We're not going to war." Jaden shrugged. "It's just that, now that people know who we are, it's going to be a bit more pressure. Sure, we could lose the first round every time, but I still want to do well." Yami smiled. "You have plans to go pro back in your time, don't you?" Jaden nodded.

"Of course. It's only been my life long dream!" Yami chuckled and they got their decks all set. They walked out of the room and down the steps. "So, the dueling Champs all set?" Jack asked, "I need my big money makers to help get us some more grub." Yami rolled his eyes. "Is that because we got to have chicken last night Jack?" Jack smiled. "Hey! That was the really nice chicken. Not that garbage that you get in the frozen food section." Jaden just rolled his eyes.

"Come on, lets go," he replied. Jack then followed. "And be sure to mention my name when you win all right?" Yami and Jaden sighed. "We will," they said in unison.

"Good," Jack answered back. They all headed out and Akiza turned to Yusei. "Do you think Jack's going to take credit for finding Yami and Jaden if they get as big as he thinks they will?" Yusei shook his head. "No, because I'm the guy who originally found him. Once everyone discovers that, then it'll make Jack look even more self-centered and a jerk for taking credit for other people's work." Akiza laughed and agreed.

When they got to the shop, kids were there, waiting for Yami and Jaden. They gave them high fives and the two of them smiled. "No one gave me high fives," Crow noted. "Oh yeah. Watch this," Jack replied and confidently strolled up to them. He looked down on them, with an almost evil looking smile on the face. Jack's height and smile caused the kids to start screaming. "Big scary Jack Atlas is trying to scare us!" one of them yelled and all kids looked like the boogeyman was coming to get them.

"No! I'm not scary! See?" Jack tried to bend down to their height, but it was too late. The kids were already spooked. Yusei and the other sneaked by as Jack tried to calm the kids down and prove that he's not a scary guy. When everyone got in, they noticed that it wasn't nearly as crowded as last time. Yusei spotted the store owner and asked him what was up. "The first one's a big deal and then, unless you know the duelist, it's not really that crowded," he informed them, "But I'm glad you're here. Maybe it can help attract people." Yusei scratched the back of his head. "I don't think getting attention is my specialty," he replied. Akiza leaned over her shoulder. "You got my attention with your attitude towards helping me," she replied. Yusei blushed. "Well...you're a exception," he answered back and they both smiled at one another.

When the tournament was about to begin, it was announced that, since Yami and Jaden won last time, they would not need to qualify. As they stood and watched the others try to make it in the show, they were happy they could now watch, and not have to be so nervous. When the first round began, Yami and Jaden coasted to easy wins. The second round, while more difficult, still kept them in the win column. It was then time for the final four.

Yami went first and it only took a few turns for him to get the cards he needed. With that in mind, Yami sailed onto victory. It was now time to see if Jaden could do the same. Jaden drew his first hand and it was all disjointed. His next turn drew another bad one. Third time's the charm? Not for Jaden, as he drew yet another bad card. "Jaden doesn't look too good," Leo commented, "And he's down to 1200 life points left." Jaden sighed as he tried to lay down a trap. However, his opponent was able to use his trap, to clear all of them from the field. With his field only containing a weak monster, the opponent attacked, and Jaden was defeat.

Everyone gasped and frowned. However, Jaden sat up and smiled. "Hey! That was a fun duel," he replied they went and shook hands, even as the little kids looked at him in disbelief. "Don't feel sad you guys! I had fun! And that's what dueling is all about." The kids cheered and Yusei and the gang smiled. It was time for the consolation match and Jaden knew he wanted redemption for the last duel. To his surprise, it was the total opposite.

Jaden got five great cards, that let him synchro Summon two powerful monsters. Lady luck helped him some more with two good cards on his next two turns. Once Jaden attacked once more, he won, without a finger on any of life points. The kids cheered and Jaden made his trademark pose at them. Yusei and Akiza smiled as they watched Leo dance around in celebration.

When it was time for the final, everyone got a little queezy inside. Yami was down 2,000 life points to start out. However, he slowly started clawing back. A trap card cut it down to 1400. Then, a attack brought it to 800. Then, the next turn, he attacked twice and now had a lead of 400. It quickly went back down to 100 after the opponent used a trap card. Everyone was leaning forward, looking for the next move.

Yami drew a card and smiled. He had trusted the heart of the cards and gotten the perfect card. After it was summoned the female opponent fell down and Yami proclaimed victory. Everyone cheered and went over to both players, as they commented on how awesome of a duel it was and how good the players were. After the Top 3 got onto a small podium and they played the National Anthem, everyone headed out, except for Yami and Jaden. They stayed behind and dueled the kids on the dueling tables nearby.

"We'll let them go home when they're done," Yusei replied, "Why don't we all get ice cream for both of their good finishes?" Leo cheered. "Yay! I want a triple scoop." Yusei chuckled. "Make that a one scoop," he replied as he looked at his wallet and Leo groaned in disappointment. Everyone laughed as they headed for the local ice cream shop. Yusei turned to Akiza and gave her a kiss. "If you need more money," Akiza whispered in his ear, "I got some." She showed him some big dollar bills hiding up her sleeve. Yusei looked at it for a few moments, before smiling. "Thanks," he replied as she handed it to him and kissed her again.

When Jaden and Yami left, the sun was setting over the skyline of the city. "Boy that was fun!" Jaden replied, "It sure was cool to see so many kids supporting us." Yami put on a happy face. "Yeah, especially when that other kid actually beat you," he remarked. Jaden frowned. "Hey! It's not my fault that I didn't get the Warrior card I needed." Yami got a sly smile. "Maybe you needed to believe in the heart of the cards some more," he replied. Jaden just rolled his eyes and the two of them laughed.

A couple days later, at Duel Academy, there was an announcement over the PA system. "Next Saturday is the dance for all kids in the 7th grade. Be sure to put on your dancing shoes for this fun event! Couples are $15 and single is $10. Be sure to come at 7, because lots of fun is sure to be had." Sure enough, the kids in class all started talking about it. In one desk, Dexter just sat and sighed. 'There's no way I'm going to that,' he thought, 'No girl would want to go out with me.'

As the day went along, all Dexter heard about was the dance. Who's going with whom? What will I wear? Dexter didn't care or know. He just knew that it meant spending another night alone. Only this time, Leo and Luna were not going to be available for him to talk to. He just made it through his classes and a boring lunch, with only more talk about the dance. Even as he sat by himself, he could hear other tables talking about it. As Dexter headed outside, on a perfect spring day, Dexter saw a bunch of boys in a circle.

Dexter then spotted Leo standing near them and was waiting impatiently. "Hey Leo. What's going on?" Dexter asked. Leo pointed to the circle and Dexter looked at it. In the middle of everything was Luna, sitting on a bench, as all the boys smiled at her. "Please take me to the dance Luna!" one said. "No! I'll be much better," another one replied, "Just check out my arms." The boy then tried to show off his very unimpressive arms. Luna watched as all the guys tried to impress her in many different ways. She didn't seem to like one over the other though.

As Dexter watched, he sighed and frowned. "So, you going to the dance Dexter?" Leo asked, getting Dexter's attention. Dexter just hanged his head. "Um...no," he replied, "I'll just stay home that night." Dexter watched as the boys around Luna started getting into a disagreement over who was better. 'Maybe I should ask her,' Dexter thought, before his realistic mind set in. He saw the guys start to shout and knew it was time to get out of there, before something bad happened. "I'd better get going," Dexter commented, "See ya later Leo."

As Dexter walked home by himself, he looked down and talked to himself. He knew people probably found it weird, but with very few people to reach out to, it had become normal for him. "Why did I have to think about asking her?" he wondered, "She's clearly the most popular girl in our grade!" Dexter sighed. Over the years, the twins had been such good friends to him. Despite doing a lot of things with Leo, Luna was incredibly generous and Dexter had taken plenty of notice.

She would make lunch or dinner for them, when he sometimes came over. Dexter and Leo would always be grateful and thank her for doing that. Luna would simply smile and say that they were welcome and that she was more than happy to. Dexter had always been happy that Luna cared about her brother so much. Even when they got in disagreements, they always worked things out.

Being their friend was a big deal too, since Dexter really didn't have any friends until the twins came along, Sure, Yusei, Akiza and the rest came too, but the twins were the first kids that ever befriended him. Dexter had always found it amazing that they wanted to be his friend. Although they hadn't interacted much recently, Luna and Leo still cared a lot about Dexter (even if he didn't know it). As Dexter walked, he pondered how he was friends with, what appeared to be, the most popular girl in his grade. What was it that made her so popular? Dexter thought about it.

She was kind. Dexter already knew that. She was considerate and also very smart. Still, was there other things besides her kindhearted personality? Dexter had started to see girls as attractive, but for a teenage boy, it was hard to tell exactly what that meant. Not to mention, Dexter felt a little embarrassed to talk, let alone think, about Luna in that way. Plus, she might get mad or angry at him for having those thoughts. If Leo ever got word, he might get really mad. Suddenly, Dexter stopped walking.

"If Leo ever finds out that I was thinking about Luna as attractive, he might not want to be my friend anymore."

Dexter was almost home and he was grateful for that. He went to the entrance and scanned his card. When he got inside, he set his bag down and went up to his room. He then plopped himself onto his bed. He turned over and looked at the ceiling. As much as he hated to say it, he had to. "I'm getting a crush on Luna," he said. He closed his eyes and he suddenly saw Luna. He gasped and quickly opened his eyes. "And now I can't stop thinking about her," he whined. Why oh why did he have to have a crush on the most popular girl, let alone one that luckily was also his friend.

As the rest of the night went along, Dexter didn't know what to do. He knew that he no shot at Luna and he had already told Leo he wasn't going. Wait! He told Leo he wasn't going, so why was he so worried about this? Maybe...he really did want to go. Still, Dexter sighed as he was doing his homework. "Come on Dexter," he said to his lonesome self, "Luna's the most popular girl in class. There's no way she would go to the dance with a dork like you."

The next day, Dexter sighed as he headed towards school. everyone was still happy and excited about the dance. Dexter just closed his eyes and knew that he should just truck through the day. "Dexter!" Leo called as he waved to him. Dexter looked over and saw Luna looking excitedly at him. Dexter bit his lip as he walked over. "Hey Dexter! Sorry I did get to talk to you yesterday," Luna replied as she smiled at him. Dexter felt himself become a little nervous, which he didn't feel comfortable with.

"Um...don't worry about it. It's...fine," he replied a bit hesitantly. Luna frowned. "Is something wrong Dexter?" Dexter suddenly felt himself become even more nervous. "No. I'm all right. Everything's great." Luna frowned. "Are you sure?" Leo stepped in. "He said his fine Luna. So just let it go. Come on. We have to get to class." Luna frowned and could tell something was wrong. She went up close to him. "If anything's bothering you Dexter, don't be afraid to talk to me." She then smiled and ran off to catch up with her brother. Dexter sighed. "How could she read me so well?" he wondered to himself. He then headed inside. "Well...you have been friends with her for years, so that's probably why." Dexter might have felt nervous about her reading him so easily, but it was nice that she cared so much about him.

"But not enough to want to go to the dance with you," his mind reminded him. Dexter knew his voice was right and he should just give it up.

Later, Dexter saw a couple guys standing next to Luna's locker. He sighed as he knew they weren't guys that normally talked to Luna. The only thing they were probably talking about was going to the dance with her. They were trying to be funny and make her laugh. He heard Luna give them a few sympathetic chuckles, but he knew they were probably fairing better than he would in that situation.

As he was about to leave, just like yesterday, guys were crowding around Luna. He went by them without a word. Leo didn't notice him either. "Hey Dexter!" Leo called to him, but he was already a block away. Dexter just hanged his head and frowned. Why did he have to have a secret crush on her? Couldn't he pick a girl that was less popular and less cute? Dexter went home and still couldn't get over it. He just wanted this dance to be over and done with. That way, he would stop having to think about it.

The next day, after school, Leo and Luna came up to him. "Hey Dexter, we were going to head over to Yusei's place. Do you wanna come with?" Leo asked. "Uh..." Dexter replied, but Luna then answered for him. "Of course he will," she replied, "It'll be lots of fun!" Luna smiled at him and Dexter liked seeing it. 'Wait, why do I feel so funny over seeing her smile?' he wondered. Luna knew that Dexter was still hesitant over going to Yusei's place and tried to convince him it was a good idea. "Come on Dexter, don't you wanna go somewhere than spending the night at home alone?" Dexter didn't know how to answer Luna's question. However, he knew the answer that could make her happy. "Well...okay. I'll go." Leo grinned and Luna closed her eyes as she smiled. "Great. We'll go get Akiza and then be on our way."

They went and found Akiza at the entrance. "Hey you guys," Akiza greeted them, "Hey Dexter! It's great to see you again." Dexter tried to smile. "Thanks, you too," he replied, feeling a bit awkward. Akiza was such a good duelist and so famous, but she was happy to see him again? Dexter felt a bit guilty that she felt that way about him. They all headed to the garage and saw the guys downstairs. Yusei came up the ramp and greeted Akiza with a big hug and kiss. It was the first time Dexter had seen this in person.

"Get used to it," Leo whispered to him, "Because they're going to be doing that all night long." Dexter looked up as he saw the two of them continue to hug and kiss, as Yusei asked Akiza about her day. Still, Dexter noticed how happy they were. 'If only I could be that happy,' Dexter thought, as the years of living alone had really taken a toll on his happiness. He saw just how affectionate they were and, as he took a seat, he looked at Luna. 'I wonder if Luna would want to be that affectionate?' he wondered. He looked at Luna as she turned away from Yusei and Akiza being sweet to each other. She then started talking to Leo instead. 'Probably not,' Dexter thought, even though he was really hoping to find a girl that would be super affectionate with him. But what girl would want to be super affectionate with a nerd? No one.

As Dexter sat down, things went about as normal as usual (barring Yusei and Akiza constantly being together). Jack and Crow got into a pointless argument and Leo and Luna looked over Yami and Jaden's decks some more. When Yami brought out his deck, he smiled once the twins were done with it. He picked it up and went over to Dexter. "Hey Dexter. What do you think of my deck?" Yami asked. He handed it to him and the teenager looked at it. "It's very good," Dexter replied.

"I was thinking that maybe you could come watch me duel the next time there's a local tournament," Yami suggested. "Um...well...I'll see how I'm doing," Dexter replied nervously, "When is it?" Yami smiled. "It's this Saturday," he replied. Dexter looked down. "I...I don't think I can make it," he replied. Yami shrugged. "Okay," he replied, "But you're more than welcome to come." Dexter nodded, but decided it was best to turn down his offer. After all, it would mean more time with Luna and it would make him more nervous and shy around her.

As Dexter sat and watched everyone, he felt like the odd man out. Leo, Luna, Yusei, and Akiza were all talking and smiling. Jaden and Yami were getting Jack and Crow to stop fighting. All the while Dexter felt as though he should just get going. He finally stood up and picked up his backpack. "I'd better go," Dexter said as he stood at the edge of the ramp. Luna, Akiza, and Yusei all frowned. "But you just got here," Luna noted. Dexter tried to smile.

"Yeah, but I have a lot of homework to do," he lied, as it wasn't that much, "So, I'd better get a head start." Akiza and Yusei looked at one another. "Um...well...it was great seeing you again Dexter," Yusei commented as Dexter walked up to the door. "Thanks. It was great seeing you all again too!" They all waved and said goodbye, even as Dexter headed out. Jack just remained quiet, as he didn't really know or have an interest in him. Crow frowned at Jack, upset that he wasn't saying goodbye to him. After their most recent fight, Crow just got up, and went to his room.

As Dexter came home, he sighed of relief. He was starting to get more nervous around Luna and he couldn't stop thinking about her. He remembered that it got especially bad when she could tell what he was thinking and feeling. At the same time, there was no way he could have gone to the duel with everyone else. What if some kid from school's there and wants to go out with her? What happens if Luna already picks her date and then decides to bring him to the duels? Dexter couldn't take that risk and besides, he was used to missing out on things like that. Dexter didn't want to be third wheel or be a burden on everybody else. On top of that, maybe Yami would feel more nervous having him there, using a deck that was in honor of him. Dexter decided to play it safe and the best deal was to just stay home.

Over the weekend, yet another dueling tournament went down. To everyone's surprise, Yami lost in the semifinals, for his first loss of the season. However, he quickly rebounded for third place. Jaden was all smiles as he walked out with a gold medal across his neck. As they walked back, Yami noted that Dexter wasn't there. "Don't worry about it," Leo replied, "Dexter's turned us down lots of times." Yami's mouth made an "o" shape. "Why is that?" he asked. Luna responded for him.

"Dexter's really shy and is usually very quiet," she explained, "He might worry that he'd distract you or make you lose your concentration while you duel." Yami nodded and understood. Plus, it was a good thing Dexter didn't see him "lose" this week. He might have thought it was him that caused the loss, when it was really just a bad situation of cards.

The following Monday, Dexter came to school and saw Leo waving to him in the hallway. He went up to him and saw Luna. However, she was looking rather red and looked kind of sick. "Luna, are you feeling okay?" Luna nodded. "Oh yeah," she replied and then coughed a few times, "I'm fine. Just a little cough. That's all." Dexter frowned. "You know, if you're not feeling well, you should go home." Luna nodded. "I know, but I'll be fine. Thanks for your concern though." Dexter frowned, but decided to say nothing more, as he walked away.

As they walked home from school, Leo turned to Luna and decided to ask her about all this attention that was given to her. Three more guys asked her to the dance at lunch and Leo was certain that she still hadn't made her pick yet. "Luna, when are you going to decide who you're going to the dance with?" Leo asked, "I mean, it's the Monday on the week of the dance. Shouldn't you tell one of them by now?" Luna looked down at the sidewalk.

"Yeah, but the truth is, none of these guys interest me." Leo was perplexed. "What? You're saying that the most popular guys in our class don't interest you?!" Luna nodded. "Well...yeah. I mean, we never talk to any of them. So are they really talking to me to actually be my friend or date or are they just looking for a one night thing?" Leo didn't understand. "Well...can't you do it just for one night?" Luna shook her head.

"If I'm good enough to be a date at a dance, then shouldn't I also be good enough to be their girlfriend or, at the very least a friend?" Leo thought about it for a moment. "I guess so. I mean, they should be, at least, considered a friend, if they wanna go to a dance with you." Luna nodded. "That's my point." She sighed. "It's too bad I can't go our with someone who's already my friend." Leo laughed.

"Yeah. That would mean you'd have to go out with either me, Bob, or Dexter!" Leo laughed as Luna looked up at him. "What's so funny?" she asked, "Are you saying all three of them are bad choices?" Leo shook his head. "No. I mean, Bob's already going with Patty." Luna nodded. "Okay. And then what about you?" Leo laughed. "Come on sis! You don't go to dances with your siblings! Besides, I'm not even going!" Luna's mind was jumbled. "What do you mean you're not going? What are you going to do?" Leo grinned at her, as he showed her a card.

"Come to the dance that's even bigger than the school dance! A party at Stan Peterson's house!" Luna looked annoyed at Leo. "You're going to Stan Peterson;s house for a party?" Leo nodded. "Yeah! He said there's going to be lots of pizza, pop, and dancing. Plus, it's only 5 bucks, which is way cheaper than your silly dance at school." Luna looked suspiciously at him. "Okay. But just be sure you don't eat too much or do something illegal." Leo wasn't scared by her scolding. "Oh come on sis! You can trust me." Luna handed him the card back.

"Since you can't go and Bob's already taken, that just leaves Dexter," Luna concluded, "Who's he going to dance with?" Leo hadn't told Luna about Dexter not going, so he decided to just get it out right now. "Um...he's kind of not going," he replied, "He said that 'he's busy.'" Luna frowned. Dexter made excuses all the time for not going anywhere. Luna also could tell that he didn't want to be a burden or a third wheel. However, if he was going, he would go with just one other person. That way, he couldn't be a third wheel and could have someone to talk to. Despite that, though, Luna felt that Dexter's lack of self confidence might lead him to think that he couldn't get a date for the dance.

"That's too bad," Luna answered back to her brother, "I think Dexter could be a great date for someone." Leo looked at her bewildered. "Are you sure? I mean, he's always so quiet and shy." Luna was quick to point out, "Until you get him to talk. Once you include him in a conversation, he's a really great guy. He just needs a little push and help. Otherwise, he's just as good as anyone to go out with." Leo shrugged and they were almost home anyways. Still, Luna felt bad that Dexter would be spending another night all alone, especially when he could go out and have fun with someone else.

The next day was a Tuesday and Dexter was able to count down the days until the dance was over with. When he arrived at school, Leo was standing all by himself. He didn't see Luna anywhere. "Hey Leo, where's Luna?" he asked as they stood by Leo's locker. "She's sick," he replied angrily. Dexter was surprised by how upset Leo was. "Is it bothering you that she's sick?" he questioned. Leo slammed his locker door shut.

"No. It's just that I've three guys come up to me and ask where Luna was. They wanted to know if she picked them to go to the dance with." Out of a crowd, one student spotted Leo. "Hey Leo!" he said as a tall, tan, black haired teenager came up to him, "Where's Luna? I've got to ask her to the dance. I hear she still hasn't made her pick yet."

As Leo explained the story again to him, Dexter looked at his shoes. Over the past few days, Dexter's embarrassing secret crush on Luna grew more and more. He thought about her a lot. Her smile. Her laugh. The way she was more than happy to help and look out for him. He was grateful to have her in his life and he was also starting to find her cute as well. Heck, his face grew red as he thought about her, just as Leo finished talking to another one of Luna's fanboys.

"All right. Sorry for the confusion," the kid apologized and Leo waved goodbye as he ran off. Leo huffed. "Jeapers! What do I have to do? Hold a sign up that says, 'Luna's sick," so every guy will leave me alone?" Dexter was concerned by how upset Leo was over seeing guys asking Luna out. "You okay Dexter?" Leo asked, "You're face is a little red." Dexter looked up, looking flustered. "Um...yeah. I'm fine." The morning bell rang. "Okay. I've got to get to homeroom," Leo commented and the two friends said goodbye. Dexter frowned as he left. Even if he wanted to, Leo wasn't going to be in the mood to hear him ask if it was all right to ask Luna to the dance.

As the day and classes moved along at a brisk pace, Dexter found himself looking at the girls a lot more. He saw that some girls gave him a dirty look, as he watched them talk. Dexter hanged his head in embarrassment and shame, as he walked away. One time, Dexter went to the bathroom during class, which he tried to avoid at all costs. He then spotted two girls coming out of the girls room, across from the boy's designated spot. "Come on Heather! We're going to miss our homework time." The girl quickly washed up and they both headed back to class.

As they ran away, Dexter's eyes were fixed on their skirts. The Duel Academy skirt wasn't extremely short. However, it was still short enough that running or a lot of wind could cause it to go up. As the girls ran, Dexter noticed that this was one of those times. As he watched, he imagined Luna was running and she looked over her shoulder. She caught eyes with him and was smiling, even as her skirt rose up her leg. Dexter was confused and mystified.

Suddenly, Luna's face went away and Dexter saw the real girl looking at him, as she pulled her skirt down with her hand. Dexter quickly looked away and scolded himself. 'Why were you thinking like that?' his mind scolded him. "I don't know," he said to himself as looked at the tile floor, "Besides, why would Luna be smiling? How would that be a good thing for her?" Dexter sighed and knew he had to get back to class. He washed his hands and didn't understand what was going on.

By the time school ended, Dexter knew what his heart was telling him. He had to talk to Leo and ask if it was all right to go out with Luna. Still, he was so scared. So nervous. Leo seemed to be in a better mood now that school was over with. "Would it be all right to walk home with you?" Dexter nervously asked. Leo smiled. "Of course Dex! Luna's not here, so it'd be nice to walk with someone! Come on, lets go!" Dexter nodded and they headed outside. To Dexter's surprise, no one bugged Leo about Luna and the dance.

As they went down the street, Dexter was nervous and couldn't look at Leo in the eye. Even as he talked about classes and how much they sucked, Dexter could barely respond. He was so nervous and worried that Leo would go nuts. He kept walking and Dexter knew they were getting close to home. He had to act and he had to act now. "Leo...there's something I need to ask you..." Dexter replied in a nervous and broken voice. They both stopped walking and Dexter couldn't look Leo in the face.

"What, was is it Dexter?" Leo asked. Dexter took a moment to speak up. "I..." Dexter swallowed and finally spoke up, "I wanna ask Luna to the dance on Saturday!" Leo looked stunned as Dexter looked back down at the sidewalk. "If you're mad, then I'm sorry," he added. Leo took a moment to take it in. His best friend wanted to go out with _his_ sister. Dexter was getting more and more scared. He was worried that their friendship was over. That Leo would be incredibly upset.

"Um...Dexter...I..." Leo seemed lost as Dexter looked up. Leo smiled as he finally saw Dexter's face. He put a hand on his shoulder. "Why do you want to ask her?" Dexter was taken aback, but knew he had to answer and respond. "Well...I mean, your sister's great. She's nice, she caring, she's generous, she's just a really great girl and I can see why so many guys want to ask her to the dance. And...as her friend...I was hoping that I might have an edge." Leo started looking at him in a not so happy manner.

"An edge?" he replied. Dexter quickly became nervous. "It's just that...we've been friends for years and I was thinking that, if I asked you, you might be able to let me ask her. I mean...I know it's out of the blue, but if you didn't want me asking her our or maybe she doesn't like me, then that'll save us all a lot of time." Leo's face turned a lot more sympathetic for Dexter. "Dexter, Luna likes you! After all she's your friend. Second, how long have you been liking her like this?" Dexter looked down, almost as if he was in trouble.

"I...I don't know," he replied, "Probably a long time, but I just never wanted to admit it." Dexter looked up. "Still, she's so cool Leo and it'd be really awesome if she went to the dance with me." He then went back to being ashamed. "But...she probably wouldn't go to the dance with me with so many better offers on the table." Leo put his arm around Dexter. "Dexter! You don't know that." Dexter stood up straight. "So, do you know what she would say to me if I asked?" Leo shook his head and that made Dexter disappointed.

"But Dex, I know that you should ask her and that's the only way to find out. Besides, I give you my permission." Dexter looked over at him. "Really? Are you sure?" Leo closed his eyes and nodded. He then opened his eyes as he talked. "Of course! I give you my stamp of approval! After all Dexter, we've been friends for years. I know you. I trust you. And, even if she does turn you down, I'm sure she'll do it in a way that's not as mean and hurtful as other girls. Besides, we're all friends, unlike all the other guys that have asked." Dexter nodded. "Yeah..I guess so..." he replied nervously. Leo tried to reassure him. "Besides, maybe she'll say, 'Yes.'" Dexter looked down.

"I hope so."

Back at the Tops, Luna sat up. She hadn't really been sick at all. She had a stuffy nose, but a quickly nap seemed to do her some good. In truth, she just wanted to get away from all the guys asking her out. Luna had lost count on how many asked, but it seemed like everyone, except her friends. And that was why Luna was having trouble picking just one guy. She barely knew any of the other ones, outside of her friends, and she didn't know what they were like. They might be nice to her, so that she would go out with them, but they also might be real jerks. Luna hated this and wanted a "safe" pick. At the same time, however, she didn't know who it was.

Luna sat up and went over to her desk. On it, were some notes and cards of people wanting to go to her dance with her. Luna sighed as she didn't know what to do. She had to choose and the choice was hard. She remembered how some guys were trying to be physical and bulk up for her. However, Luna remembered what Akiza and Yusei said to her.

_Flashback_

"Don't be into what's on the outside," Akiza said as she hugged Yusei, "Care about what's in someone's heart. Looks may fade, but a heart never will." Yusei nodded. "We care about each other, because both of us can see deep into each other's heart. I know just how great Akiza is on the outside and inside." Yusei nudged noses with her. "And I can say the same for you Yusei," Akiza replied and returned the gesture. Luna watched as the two then shared a kiss.

_End Flashback_

Still, Luna looked at all the guys in the yearbook. None of them made her squirm with nervousness and pleasure. She just saw a bunch of guys. Luna then heard the door open and Leo came in. "Luna! I'm home! I got you your homework!" Luna quickly hopped into bed and tried to make it look like she was feeling better. Leo was pretty gullible when it came to being sick. When Leo tried it out on her, he had a lot less success.

"How are you feeling?" Leo asked as he set the papers down. "A lot better," she lied, "And I think this medicine helped." Luna held up a bottle that she had not even taken a sip from. However, Leo believed her. "Okay. That's good. Still think you'll be ready for the dance?" Luna nodded. "Yeah. I still haven't picked who I wanted to go out with." Leo sighed. "Well...I'm sure you'll find someone." Leo then headed for the bedroom door. "I'll let you get some more sleep," he replied and carefully shut the door. Luna smiled at him, but frowned once the door was shut.

"Who am I going to take?" she wondered out loud to herself.

The next day, Leo wanted to wait outside of school for Dexter. However, he soon found himself inside with his sister. "Um...I...have to go talk to a teacher about one of my quizzes," Leo replied. "Um...okay," Luna replied puzzled, "I'll see you in a little bit." Leo nodded and then bolted out of there. Outside, Dexter was nervously coming up to the school. "Come on Dexter. You can do this," he said to himself, even as other boys and girls stared at him as if he was insane. Leo soon called his name and ran up to him. Dexter looked up and saw Leo stop right in front of him. "So, you ready?" Dexter shook his head nervously. "I'm scared," he replied.

"Don't worry Dex. Just tell her. It'll be fine really." Dexter felt sick to his stomach. "No! Can...can we wait a little bit?" The school bell rang and everyone headed inside. It had been one of the best times for that to happen, as he breathed a sigh of relief. "O...kay," Leo replied, "But you've got to tell her." Dexter nodded and gulped. "That's what I'm afraid of," he whispered.

Over the course of the school day, Dexter found himself bumping into Leo and Luna more often than usual. Leo tried to get them to talk about the dance, but Luna wanted to talk about other stuff and Dexter was more than happy to chime in. Leo frowned, as Dexter didn't seem to get the hint that he was trying to help him, even as he got Luna to do a lot of breaking from their ordinary routine. There wasn't a point where Leo could get Dexter alone, even at lunch, and tell him about what he was trying to do or his plan. The end of the day came and everyone was heading out, with Dexter still not confessing to Luna.

On Wednesday, Leo tried to do the same. Luna was getting curious as to why Leo was acting so strange. They went to classes in weird ways and he suggested going to other directions and halls. Luna didn't understand and sometimes she took his advice and sometimes she didn't. She found Dexter all the times she went down the hallways and Leo knew them, because he knew Dexter had his formula for getting around. Still, the run ins with Dexter were fun for Luna. Although, she noticed that Dexter was a little bit nervous around her.

For Dexter, he was not liking this. Sure, he like seeing Luna and the fact that she was saying, "Hi" to him. Still, Dexter was worried that Leo said something and that he spilled the beans. Dexter would feel terrible if Leo told Luna. However, he knew that this was something big and he was his friend. So, he could trust him. Couldn't he? Dexter wasn't sure, but when he did see Leo, he made sure to ask him. "Leo, did you tell Luna about my...you know?" Leo shook his head. "No. You didn't tell her yet?" Dexter shook his head. "I'll tell her soon," he replied. It was soon the the end of the day and Dexter still hadn't told her. When Luna didn't say anything, Leo could figure it out.

Leo decided that enough was enough. Luna sat outside and, like the past week or so, was mobbed by a ton of guys in a circle. Leo used this to his advantage and stormed over to Dexter's locker. As Dexter closed it, he saw Leo next to him. "Oh. Hey Leo." Leo took his hand. "Come on Dexter! You've got to ask Luna out, otherwise she might make her choice, and it'll be too late." Dexter frowned. "I know, but there's no way she would ever go out with a loser like me." Leo suddenly lost all of his anger and felt bad.

"Look Dexter. I know that you see yourself as a loser, dork, nerd, and whatever, but I know Luna. She's your friend and, even if she says no, there's no way that she's going to do it in a mean way. Besides, she cares about you, just as much as I do. Just as much as Yusei, Akiza, Jack, Crow, Yami, Jaden, and so many more people do too." Dexter frowned. "I don't know if they really think about me all that often," he replied, "They barely know me." Leo understood why Dexter thought like that, but he reassured him. "Look Dexter. They do care, but I'm sorry. This isn't about them. It's about Luna and you. You've _got _to talk to her about it. Now come on!" Leo gently pulled one of his best friends along. After a few steps, Dexter pulled back, and Leo let go. They both nodded and headed outside.

They stood across from Luna, from one end of an entrance way to the other, about 10 feet or a few meters away. "It's okay Dexter, you can do this." He gave him a nudge and Dexter looked nervously at her. She was listening to one of them talk and Dexter felt so nervous. He wasn't sure if he'd ever been this nervous in his whole life. Leo knew that Dexter was scared, so he decided to help him out. He raised his voice.

"Hey Luna!" he shouted and Dexter looked at him, as if he was distracting a hungry animal from food, "Dexter needs to ask you something!" Dexter looked back at Luna and the crowd of guys. "Why do we need to hear from this dork?" one of them asked. "Yeah. He's a loser!" another one added. Luna frowned as she heard their whispers and remarks. "Let him speak!" she demanded and looked around the nearly full circle of guys. She then turned to Dexter, as he slowly nudged his way forward. Luna gave him a kind and sweet smile.

"What is it Dexter?" she asked in a gentle, caring voice. Dexter looked down and then at her, as she smiled and waited for him to answer. "Um...I..." he struggled. Luna waited patiently, even as the other guys were already at their rope's end. "I...was wondering if..." Luna's happy and excited face didn't change. She let Dexter have all the time he needed to talk and didn't seem upset at all. Dexter could see her, but also the other guys faces as they stared him down. All of the faces caused him to just close his eyes and spit out what he wanted to ask.

"I was wondering if you'd like to go to the dance with me!" he blurted out. There was a pause, before some of the guys reacted. They had a few chuckles and some more sly remarks flew out. Luna's face had turned stunned and she didn't hear their laughter or remarks. Going to the dance with Dexter? Luna suddenly felt a surge of a feeling. And it was happiness. Luna smiled as she stood up.

"I'd love to," she replied excitedly and all the guys around her were now speech and soundless. Dexter managed to open his eyes and Luna rushed over to him. "Come on!" she said as she gently took him by the hand, "Lets walk and home and then we can talk about it." Dexter was stunned as he soon found himself jogging away from the school. Leo gave them both a smile and a quick thumbs up sign. The other guys at the round table just stared as Luna got far off in the distance. Some of them walked away and talked about how they needed to find other dates. A decent portion of the guys stayed at the table.

"What should we do now leader?" one of them asked. They looked to a sly, cunning boy with slick black hair, pencil thin eyebrows, and dark blue eyes. He insisted that the group call him, "leader" as he was in charge of all of them. The boy took out a lollipop from his mouth. "We're going to get that dweeb," he replied, "A woman as fine as Luna shouldn't be going out with a dork like him." Everyone in the group wondered and asked how they were going to do that.

"And I know just how to do it," the leader announced and they walked away from the table.

As Luna and Dexter walked, Dexter was still in shock. Why did Luna choose him? Why did she say yes? She could have had any guy in school. On top of that, where were they going and what did Luna need to talk about? Dexter looked at his hand, which was currently held by Luna. It felt nice to hold her hand like this. He had always seen romantic couples holding hands, but he had never done this before. When they were a good distance away from school, Luna and Dexter stopped in the middle of the sidewalk.

"I'm so glad that you asked me to go to the dance, Dexter," Luna said happily with a big, bright smile on her face. Dexter just looked confused at her. "Uh...you're welcome," Dexter replied, "But...why did you choose me?" Luna giggled. "Because I know you Dexter. I've talked to you before. Most of those guys I haven't said a word to them ever. But best of all, you're my friend Dexter. It would be fun to get to go to a dance with someone I know very well. And I know that you wouldn't be the kind of guy who leaves with someone else." Dexter looked down.

"Well...of course not," he replied, "I would never do that. To any woman. Especially you." Luna nodded. "I know. Now, when do you wanna meet?" Dexter shrugged. "What if we met right at 7, at school? That way, we could see each other for the first time there." Luna smiled. "I like that idea," she replied. Dexter looked down. "But what do I wear?" he asked. Luna smiled. "Why don't you wear that nice green button up shirt. It looks good on you and..." Luna blushed. "I like the color green." Dexter nodded. "Me too, but what about you?" Luna already knew what she would wear. "I'll wear my nice pink dress," she replied and they stood in silence for a moment.

"Well...that sounds good to me," Dexter replied, "I...hope we'll have fun." Luna smiled. "Of course we will Dexter. Don't forget your nice pants and shoes. I know it'll be a great night!" Dexter looked down. "I don't know about that," he replied. "Oh, be a little more positive Dexter! It'll be fine. Don't worry." She leaned in close. "I'm just happy I get to go with you and not those other guys who don't know a thing about me." Dexter didn't want to say anything bad about them, but he thought he was much lower on the popularity poll than all those other guys. Still...Luna wanted to go out with him, so he shouldn't complain.

"All right. Saturday at 7. Sounds good to me. I'll...see you tomorrow at school then." Luna closed her eyes and smiled wide. "Kay." Luna then turned around and waved as she ran the rest of the way towards the Tops. As she ran, her skirt bounced some more and Dexter looked away, as he didn't want another incident like at the bathroom. Luckily, he looked away before it got dangerous. He sighed as he headed back home in another direction. He had managed to accomplish his goal. However, he had never been on a date before and especially a dance.

Friday was a complete opposite of the previous two days. Dexter barely saw the twins and vise versa. Once school was over, Luna looked around for him. "Hey Leo, have you seen Dexter?" she asked. Leo shook his head. "I barely saw him all day." He smiled. "Come on. Akiza's waiting for us to head over to the garage." Luna nodded and the two ran off to find, not only one of their friends, but soon many of them.

In about 20 minutes, the twins had met Akiza and then made their way to the garage. When they got there, all the guys greeted them with smiles (including Jack). "I'm so excited for the dance tomorrow," Luna commented when Yusei asked her about the weekend. Yusei looked curiously at her. "A dance?" he asked and Akiza rolled her eyes. "The school dance for junior high schoolers?" Akiza corrected him, "I told you that on Monday. Learn to pay attention." Yusei then apologize.

As Jaden was listening, he then asked the obvious question. "So, if you're going to this dance Luna, who are you going with?" Luna blushed a little bit. "Dexter," she answered shyly. "Really?" Yami asked. "Yeah," Leo replied, "She could have had any guy in school she wanted, but she choose him. I was the one who got him to ask her out though." Leo put his chest out proudly. As Jaden watched the twins talk about plans for tomorrow, and Leo's other party, Jaden whispered to Yami. "Hey Yami, can we go to this dance?" Jaden whispered. Yami raised an eyebrow.

"What? Why?" Yami asked, "Why should we go to some junior high dance?" Jaden smiled. "To help Luna and Dexter get together." Yami looked at Luna and then pulled Jaden upstairs. "Are you nuts?" Yami said in a hushed, but yelling like tone, "We're here to help Yusei and Akiza! We have to stay focused on our main goal! Not other couples!" Jaden shrugged. "Yeah, but you saw how easy it was with them. Heck, maybe we can travel through time some more! Helping couples along the way!" Yami rolled his eyes. "Look Jaden. I came here and brought you with, because we both knew after our duel with Paradox that Yusei harbored deep, personal, and mutual feelings with Akiza. It was obvious that he loved her and she probably loved him back. I came here, because I wanted to be sure that one of my friends got the girl of his dreams and finally gets to...you know." Jaden nodded. "Yeah, but Yusei and Akiza are older and have more deeper problems. A little teenage romance is pretty basic compared to those two. We can do it in a snap." Jaden snapped his fingers, but Yami wasn't buying in. "Yeah, but Yusei and Akiza really haven't had any problems. They're not that deep in their relationship. They've barely had a real fight, like, 'I don't talk to you for a day,' type fight, they really haven't talked about getting serious, or what Akiza's going to do once she has to go to college in the Fall. We can't say they just need a push, they need help when they'll have to deal with true, powerful issues." Jaden looked down. "All right. I give, but wouldn't it be cool to help out someone else? Weren't we talking a few days ago about wanting Yusei's friends to be happy?" Yami looked down. "Yeah...I guess so." The two men were soon close, as Jaden put an arm around Yami's broad shoulders. "Come on. I'm sure these dances need volunteers to keep the kids and hormones under control. We'll volunteer and call the school up. While we're there, we can keep our eyes on them, and the help them if needed. Okay?" Yami sighed. "Okay," he replied. Jaden smiled. "Great! I'll go call the school!" Jaden headed off to the laptop and to look up the school's telephone number.

In just a few minutes, Jaden had called the school and, sure enough, they needed volunteers galore. "Well, put us down for Jaden Yuki and Yami Yugi," Jaden replied. "Would like the beginning or ending shift?" Jaden thought for a moment. "Have Yami do the beginning and Jaden for the end," he replied excitedly, "Okay. Thank you. You're welcome!" Jaden hanged up. "All right! We're going to get not just one couple together, but two!" he said excitedly and ran back to Yami to tell him the good news.

Dexter was chilling at home, watching TV after an hour of doing homework. Downstairs, some of the guys that had been asking Luna to go to the dance with her, were waiting. "Leader, why are we going here? This isn't the Tops." He hushed him. "I know that!" he replied, "But we're not getting Luna. We're getting that nerd that gets to go out with her tomorrow!" They went inside and, unlike the Tops, did not have a security just to get in. Someone was coming downstairs and one of them held the door for them to leave. They then headed upstairs to the right apartment number.

As Dexter watched a sports program on TV, the doorbell rang and he got up to get it. When he looked through the peephole, no one was there. He unlocked and opened the door. "Hello?" he asked as he looked up and down the narrow hallway. He then looked down at the floor and saw an envelope. He picked it up and it had his name on it. Dexter took it inside and closed the door back up again. He took it to the sofa and sat down. When he opened it, he found it was a hand written letter. It read:

Hey Dexter,

I wanted to give to this special message, because I didn't want Leo to find out about it. I know we agreed to meet at school. However, I want meet somewhere else instead. There's a special surprise I want to give you. Please meet me at the corner of Washington and Marquette. I'll be a little late, but don't worry! It'll be worth the wait!

Your friend,

Luna :)

Dexter was surprised that Luna sent the note to him and he looked at her nice signature. Next to it was a smiling face and Dexter felt at ease. 'What is this big surprise?' Dexter wondered. He squirmed with delight. "Maybe it's some kind of game or toy or maybe a..." He stopped as he thought about it. "Maybe she wants to kiss me," he said and he suddenly got all nervous. He had never kissed a girl before. Still, maybe it wasn't that. But whatever it was, Luna wanted to give it to him, and he had to make sure he got there on time, so he wouldn't miss out.

The next morning, Dexter got his clothes out for tonight, just like Luna suggested. A green button up shirt, black pants, socks, shoes, and his usual bow tie. He sighed as the last time he wore this was Christmas. He thought about how much courage it took just to be in this position. Luna had so many selections, but out of all of them, she picked him. Even better was the fact that she had a surprise waiting for him. Suddenly, Dexter felt a little guilty. Luna had a surprise for him, but he had nothing for her.

"Flowers!" he said to himself and headed out to the store.

Later, he soon was heading back home with a small bouquet of purple and yellow flowers. He smiled as he hoped Luna liked them. Even though they were on the less expensive side, he hoped that Luna would still find them acceptable and worthy enough. Dexter soon got home and he made himself dinner. He then took a shower, brushed his teeth, dried his hair, put on some cologne, and got dressed. He stood in front of the mirror, hoping he looked good enough for Luna. A lot of eyes were going to be on him and he knew he had to do his best to please her. He wasn't sure how or what he was suppose to do when it came to dancing. He had only seen people dancing on shows and Movies and the guy and girl just stayed together most of the time, with their arm stuck out.

"I hope Luna will be happy with me," Dexter said as he stepped out of the bathroom. He hanged his head. "Who am I kidding?" he asked, "This night will probably be a disaster." Dexter had never been very optimistic and it really showed in nervous times like this. He wanted to make Luna happy, but he knew that he had no clue how to dance, date, or be around girls. He wanted to treat them with respect and let her do what she wanted. However, Dexter didn't have a nerve in his body that would want to control any woman, let alone Luna. Still, Dexter had always been shy around girls and now he was shy around one of his only girl friends Luna. He picked up the directions, that printed from online, and headed out for the place on the note he received from, "Luna."

At the Tops, Luna was in her nice pick dress and she smiled as she put the finishing touches on her hair. "All right. I'm all set." Leo smiled as he looked at her in the bathroom. "You look nice," he complimented her. Luna smiled. "You really think so?" Leo nodded. "Yeah," he replied, "Now you'd better be on your way. Dexter's going to be waiting for ya!" Luna nodded. "Thanks Leo! See you later!" Leo waved her as she headed for the door. "Oh! Better get your umbrella!" Leo noted, "It might rain!" Luna nodded and took her black umbrella with her. She headed downstairs and then went into the limo outside for Top's residents only.

As Dexter went to the desired location, he was becoming worried and scared. It didn't seem like the safest place to be. He nervously looked at the directions and checked his watch. He quickly started walking, wanting to make sure he was on time. At school, Luna was getting out of the limo and she looked around as people filed in. "Where's Dexter?" Luna asked herself. Yami was going inside and spotted Luna. "Hey Luna!" he said as he went up to her, "Where's Dexter?" Luna shrugged. "He's not here yet," she responded, "But I'm a little early. I trust Dexter and know that he'll be here." Yami smiled and nodded. "All right. I'll see you inside." Luna looked around for Dexter and, as she did, "Leader" and his crew spotted her all by herself.

"You'd better get used to being by yourself," Leader said as he walked by, "Because the next time you're with someone, it's gonna be me!" They all walked inside and looked up, as they heard a rumble of thunder in the overcast skies. The clouds were a dark grey and it reeked of rain coming soon. Back at the corner on the note, Dexter looked around. He didn't see Luna and he saw a lot of African Americans. He didn't recognize any of them and a few gave him a stare. Dexter looked around nervously. "Come on Luna," he said to himself, "Hurry up!"

Back at school, almost no one was outside anymore. "Maybe I should just go inside," Luna said and she went inside. She took out her ticket and sighed as she handed in only one. She wanted to do it with Dexter, but this was the first time Dexter went out to a dance. Maybe he wanted to look extra nice. As Luna sat at one of the lunch tables by herself, she stared at the door. As she did, a group of guys eyed her all by herself and knew that everything was going according to plan. As Yami watched, he spotted Luna by herself. 'Dexter's not the kind of guy who would leave Luna like this,' Yami thought, 'Something's wrong. I can feel it.' He looked at the door and was really worried about him, as the first dance started.

As Dexter gripped his flowers tightly, he checked his watch. 7:00, then 7:30, soon 8. At the dance, Luna sighed as she looked at the clock on the wall. Yami kept a steady eye on her and was become worried. Soon, a guy came up to her, "Do you wanna dance?" he asked. Luna shook her head. "No. My date's just a little late," she replied as she gave him a warm smile, "Thank you though." The man blushed and walked away. Luna frowned, once he was out of sight. 'Where are you Dexter?' she wondered.

Soon, it was 9 o'clock. The street lights had came on and Dexter was nervous. As a couple of guys that were waiting for the city bus, noticed him. "Hey man! You look all dressed up, you waiting for someone?" Dexter nodded and scooted away from them. "Hey man! I'm not trying to hurt you," he replied, "Are you lost or something?" Dexter looked away. "Um...I've been waiting for someone, but she hasn't came yet." The other African American stood next to his friend and said, "Well how long have you been waiting for her?" Dexter looked down. "Since 7." The guys both gasped.

"7?" the first one said. "Yeah," Dexter replied, "She was going to give me something and then we were going to be heading for a dance at Duel Academy. She gave me this note and said she would be late." Dexter nervously came over and showed it to them. They read it and frowned. "Dude man, I think you got screwed," the first one said, "I think she might have done this so that she could go with someone else." He handed the note back. "I think she's trying to dump you." Dexter gasped. "I'd better get going." He started heading for the school. "Thank you!" he shouted and the two guys waved as Dexter gave them a brief wave back. He had to get to school. He knew he wasn't the best date in the world, which meant that Luna might have tried to dump him, but in a nice way.

As Dexter ran, he heard the sky rumble. He looked up as he stopped at a red light and a drop fell on his square shaped glasses. Soon another and then another. Dexter felt another on his clothes as he looked back at the street. Soon, it was raining hard. It wasn't a complete downpour, but it was getting very wet. Dexter watched as the light turned green and he ran across the street. He didn't have a jacket or anything and was quickly becoming soaked. Dexter knew once he got to his apartment, he'd know exactly how to get to school from there. He didn't care about getting a jacket, as getting to Luna was much higher on his priority list. As he sadly hit another red light, he stopped, and felt his hair. It was already getting wet, as Dexter had forgotten to check the Weather Report and he didn't have a jacket to put on.

As Dexter tried to cross the street, he slipped on the curb, and fell onto the hard concrete street. He grunted as he fell right into a dip in the curb, which had quickly been filling with water. He pushed himself up and looked down. He gasped as he sat the bouquet of flowers he had for Luna was, not only squished, but also ripped. He gasped and could feel himself start to panic. "Oh no. Oh no!" he muttered as he tried to pick up some of the petals on the ground. A car honked, as it wanted to turn right, and Dexter quickly forgot he was kneeling in the street. He got up and forced himself to race across the street. When he got to the other curb, he turned around, and watched as traffic went back to flowing smoothly. Dexter caught his breath and looked down. His shirt was covered in water, concrete, and some mud. He tried to get it off, but knew he had no time. He quickly brushed it and then turned around, as he headed for school. He tried his best, but he soon found himself crying, as this day had gone horribly wrong.

Back at school, Yami had stayed, even though his shift was over. Jaden watched with him as Luna still sat by herself on the lunch table. Lots of guys had come over and offered to dance with her, but she turned down every one of them. She wanted to dance with Dexter and knew that something was up. Luna didn't have her phone with her and she knew Dexter didn't leave his on. As Luna continued to look at the door, Leader came over, and smiled. "Why Luna. Hasn't your date arrived yet?" he asked, knowing why he still wasn't here. Luna shook her head.

"No," she replied. Leader stuck out his hand. "Why don't you dance with me?" he offered. Luna looked at him and how he smiled at her. She gave him a mean frown and look. "No! I want to dance with Dexter. So, I politely ask you to leave me alone!" Leader scowled and walked away in disbelief. "Geeze what a bitch," he whispered under his breath. As Luna looked at all the couples dancing, she sighed, and knew that Dexter would be rocking in his seat to some of the songs that he enjoyed. Still, she soon got lost in the song and didn't hear as Dexter came up to the school.

Dexter looked down at his dystroyed flowers and knew it had to be good enough. He ran inside and ran past the check in table. They didn't ask him for a ticket, as the dance was almost over. As Dexter came around the corner, he looked for Luna dancing with someone else. As he looked, he soon spotted Luna at one of the end lunch tables. He quickly adjusted his hair and nervously walked around towards her. He didn't know how Luna would react, but he knew that Luna might explode on him for what had happened. At best, he'd be lucky to leave without getting hit by her.

As Luna looked over, she spotted Dexter. Unfortunitly, so did just about everyone else in the room. Yami stood up, from leaning against the wall, and Jaden came back from the bathroom just in time. The music stopped as well, as everyone watched Dexter hold his flowers out in front of his chest. Luna stood up and saw Dexter all wet. A group crowded around them, including Leader and his buddies. As Luna looked at him wet from head to toe, a stain on his shirt from the street, and his ripped flowers, Luna could have exploded. She could have yelled at the top of her lungs.

But...she didn't. She said the only words that she could. For a moment, Luna's anger and frustration went away. She said the only sentence anyone in her situation could say, "Dexter, what happened?" Dexter gulped nervously. "I...I waited for you," he said softly. Luna looked confused and Dexter managed to reach into his pocket. He pulled out the note and handed it to her. Luna took it from him and opened it. She read it to herself and then looked up.

"Dexter," she said softly, "I didn't write this."

Almost as if it was a movie scene, lighting flashed outside as Dexter gasped. "W...what?" he asked. "I didn't write this," Luna repeated, "That's not how I sign my name. Where did you get it?" Dexter looked at his flowers, away from Luna's face. "I...I got it yesterday. It was left at my door in an envelope that had my name on it." Luna was confused. She looked at the note and then at Dexter. "So...you went to this place and waited for me?" Dexter nodded slightly. "I...I wanted to make sure I didn't leave and have you go here without me. You see, in was in this poorer place and there were these guys waiting for the bus. I waited from 7 until 9 and they asked me what happened. I showed them the note and they said that you might have gave it to me, so that you could go to the dance with someone else. Still, I'm so sorry Luna." Luna looked down and thought about it for a moment. As she thought about the note, the location, and everything else, she suddenly realized something. She realized the truth.

She looked at Dexter, who still couldn't look in her in the eyes. "I'm sorry," he said for what seemed like the thousandth time. "Dexter," Luna said softly to him and he looked up. On Luna's face was not anger or the need to hurt him, but a big smile. Her eyes shined too and Dexter was both lost and memorized. "It's okay," she replied in a cheerful voice, "I'm so glad you're here." Luna then looked at Dexter's torn flowers. "Oh! And you got me flowers! How thoughtful!" Luna took them and smelled them as she put them close to her nose. Dexter managed a small smile, but he wasn't sure why. "But Luna..."

"Okay boys and girls, there's only two songs left to dance to! So everyone, head out to the floor with your partner, and get ready to dance!" A light rock song started and Luna took Dexter's hand. "Come on Dexter, lets dance." Dexter was then gently pulled towards the dance floor, as everyone else looked at them in shock. They all wondered why Luna wasn't mad at Dexter. Not even a little bit. They then all went to the dance floor and watched.

Dexter took Luna's hand and stuck it out, while Luna took the other and they held it at their sides. Dexter hadn't realized it before, but Luna was a few inches taller than he was. He looked down as Luna continued to look at him. "Luna...I'm sorry," he repeated once more. Luna leaned in close. "Look Dexter," she said with a smile on her face, "No more apologizes! Okay?" Dexter became nervous, but nodded. "Okay. I'm sor..." He quickly gasped and changed his words. "I...I mean..." He looked around at the dance floor. "Luna, everyone's staring at us." Normally, Dexter tried to ignored other people, but with their whole graduating class staring at them, it was hard not to. Luna leaned over his shoulder and smiled.

"Let them watch," she replied smoothly, "And we'll enjoy this dance together." Dexter looked oddly at her, but leaned over her shoulder as well. They both closed their eyes and tried to tune everybody out of it, except for each other. Just as they were reaching that special place alone together, the music stopped, and so did they. They applauded the song and then the DJ had one last tune. "Okay everybody! It's the final dance! Everyone out on the floor!" An upbeat song started, but Dexter and Luna found themselves still close to one another.

"Has everyone been dancing all night?" Dexter asked. Luna shook her head. "Everyone was out for the first one and then this last one, with only a few in-between. I think they have LGS." Dexter smiled. "So don't worry Dexter," Luna continued, "You're right on track with almost everyone else." Dexter leaned over her shoulder. "Well...I'm glad I got to spend both of mine with you." Luna blushed and the song was soon over. From a far, Jaden and Yami smiled at the couple and then at each other. "I think they're is something there," Yami admitted and Jaden agreed.

As everyone headed out, Dexter waited for Luna. "Oh yeah," Dexter said nervously, "You have a really nice dress." Luna's face turned warm and friendly. "Why thank you," she replied as she spun around, "I got it just for you." Dexter adjusted his glasses nervously. "And you look very handsome yourself." Dexter looked down shyly. "Well...it was you who suggested it to me," he replied. Luna laughed as they then got to the door. As they looked outside, it was still raining. Kids put on their jackets and umbrellas and Luna spotted the limo waiting for them (among all the other limos kids had their parents rent).

"Well...I'm already wet," Dexter noted as he was still wet and a bit cold, from the cool temperature inside of the school and dance floor. Luna looked up and saw he was standing right near a vent. At first, she opened her umbrella, but as they stepped outside, she put it back in it's smaller size. "Luna, what are you doing?" Dexter asked. Luna smiled as she grabbed his hand. "I thought that since you're soaking wet, then I will too." Dexter frowned. "Look Luna. You don't have to do this." Luna smiled as she put a finger on his lips. "Don't worry Dexter. I want to." Dexter smiled and she removed her finger. The two of them then slowly walked through the rain as other kids raced past them, staring at their odd behavior. It was now pouring and Luna and Dexter were getting drenched. Still, the two slowly made it to the limo, smiling all the way.

When they got inside, Dexter and Luna got buckled up, and the car started moving. Dexter smiled as his glasses had drops all over him and his hair was dripping wet. He looked at Luna and gasped. He had to look away. Luna's dress was soaked, but with that in mind, it wasn't the thickest material around. On top of that, Dexter could see right through it and see her dark green undergarments. He had never seen this before, but felt weird. The thing that was even stranger, was that Luna wasn't upset at all.

"Is something wrong Dexter?" Luna asked in concern. She tired to lean over to him and make him feel better. "You look like you've see a ghost." Dexter looked outside at the window next to him. "Uh...I'm fine," he replied. "Okay," Luna replied and sat back in a more normal position. Dexter's eyes were huge. 'The ghost is that it doesn't look like you're wearing any clothes,' Dexter thought. He soon found himself having trouble looking out the window. He sat back to the standard seating position and soon saw her in her see-through dress.

'Dang it!' Dexter thought as he could clearly see where her "special areas" were.

Sure enough, Luna wanted to walk inside the Tops in the rain as well. Dexter tried to hide his blush as they walked together side by side. When they got upstairs, they took the elevator and Dexter finally had to say something. "Luna, aren't you worried about your dress?" he asked. Luna looked at it. "Not really," she replied, "I've gotten to big for it, so I was going to find a new one." Dexter smiled and was grateful. "I'm hoping to find something a little shorter." Dexter looked at it and it didn't even reach her knees. 'Ohhh!' Dexter moaned in his head, at the thought of Luna in both a short _and _thin dress.

Finally, Luna and Dexter made it to the front of Luna's door. 'Hey, I just walked a girl to her door,' Dexter thought, 'Or maybe it was more like she walked me.' As Dexter started to think Luna did all the work for both it and the dance, Luna turned around and smiled, even as her hair was now sagging from all the rain. "Look Dexter, I want you to know that I had a great time tonight." Dexter frowned.

"But Luna, weren't you lonely having to sit there all night by yourself, waiting for me?" Luna shook her head. "No way!" She then took both of his hands. "Dexter. I know you and I knew that you had a good reason for why you were late. Sure enough, you did, and it wasn't fair that someone else left that fake note at your door." Dexter was confused. "Wait, I was told that you might have left it so that you could go out with someone else." Luna was confused too. "Who told you that?"

"The guys at the bus stop," Dexter reminded her, "They said that you might have wanted to go with someone else, so you put that note there as a nice way to say that you didn't want to go to the dance with a loser like me." Luna frowned and leaned in close. "That's not true at all Dexter! I didn't leave the note for you!" Dexter didn't understand. "Well then, who did?" Luna frowned and her face turned angry.

"Some guys that wanted to go out with me instead," she concluded. Dexter didn't feel much better, as he knew that plenty of guys wanted her. "Look Luna, I still apologize. I didn't know that the note wasn't yours and it was stupid of me to follow the instructions." Luna shook her head. "No Dexter. It's all right. Everything turned out wonderful." Dexter was baffled. "But you were stuck sitting all by yourself for most of the night," he reminded her. Luna smiled and didn't look upset at his point.

"Look Dexter. I had a wonderful night, because we won." Dexter didn't know what she was talking about. "Won what?" he questioned. Luna laughed. "We won, because we stayed together. Someone out there wanted to separate us apart. However, we stayed together, even after you came right at the end of the dance, and we danced together for the final two songs. We won Dexter, because we left the dance together. We didn't let them win or break us apart." Luna leaned in and hugged him. "And getting to be with you, no matter how long or short it was, was amazing." She leaned back, as Dexter instinctively put his arms around her back. "I'm so happy I got to go to the dance with you.

Dexter blushed. "Me too," he replied. He put his head over her shoulder and the two of them hugged again. They stayed close together for quite a while. Luna and Dexter had never experience closeness like this before to any other human being. Not even Luna's bond with Leo. It was something much deeper. When they leaned back, they were both so happy. "Well...I guess we'd better get going." Luna nodded. "Yeah. I guess," she replied, "But...I want you to know one last thing Dexter." Dexter smiled. "What is it?" he asked.

"You're a really great guy," Luna answered, "I know you don't know it or realize it, but you truly are a wonderful guy to be around. I know you can be very negative, but I know that deep down is a sweet and wonderful guy." Dexter blushed and Luna laughed. "All right. I'll see you later Dexter." Luna opened the door and then peaked out of it. She gave him a wink and Dexter blushed. Luna giggled and then went back inside. As Dexter left, he felt happy, shy, and embaressed.

On Monday, Dexter had debated how Luna and him were going to be going forward in their relationship. As Dexter walked out, he spotted Luna waiting outside for him. "Hey Dexter!" Luna cried as Dexter came outside towards her. When he got there, Luna was smiling from ear-to-ear. "How are you Dexter?" Luna asked with her eyes closed, as it was the first time the two talked since Saturday night. "Okay," he replied, "But..." Luna opened her eyes. "I feel really great now that I get to see you." Luna's face brightened pink a little. "Well...you're welcome Dexter" Dexter smiled at the fact that he made Luna blush, even if it was a tiny, tiny bit. "Should we head to school?" Dexter nodded and they faced the direction towards school. "Um..." Dexter said and Luna stopped. Dexter blushed red. "Luna...could we..." She looked curiously at him. "Hold hands." Dexter bit his lip, but Luna smiled. "Of course," she replied and took his right hand. Dexter smiled at Luna and she smiled back at him. The two of then walked all the way to school hand in hand.

**A/N: I apologize for the long delay. I hope it was worth the wait and time to read.**


	14. Clothes Don't Make the Man

**Chapter 14!  
**

**Bentstu: I'm happy the length was not a problem, as I know long Chapters take a long time to both write and read. I'm glad you weren't upset with Luna x Dexter stuff. They're not going to be a huge focus on them, but there will be a small amount. **

**Thanks for your patience and I hope you enjoy this Chapter!**

As the day went along, Yusei sighed as he looked at a, "non -inappropriate" picture of Akiza. She was smiling as Yusei had his arms around hers and Akiza had her arms around him. Yusei smiled and closed his eyes. He knew just how much he cared about her. Just how much he loved her. Yusei suddenly realized something, as he saw the guys come downstairs from playing with a standard deck of cards. "Hey Yusei," Yami said as they all took a seat. Yusei had been looking at his laptop and he decided he should shut it down, before the guys got an ideas. Once it was, he sat and looked at the guys around him.

"Well...I'm bored," Yusei admitted, "So what do you wanna do?" Yami looked at Yusei from head to toe. "I think you need a new wardrobe," Yami commented. Yusei looked at his usual blue jacket, black and red shirt, and black pants. "What's wrong with this?" he asked. "Well...it's just that you wear the same thing everyday," Yami pointed out, "Don't you have any other clothes?" Yusei shrugged. "Not really," he replied, "But you guys have worn the same thing everyday as well." Jaden then reminded him of something. "Yeah, but we got beat up with only the clothes on our back." Yusei huffed.

"Still, why do I need a new attire?" he asked. "Because you're not going to wear that same outfit the rest of your life," Yami noted, "You've gotta shake things up." Yusei rolled his eyes. "Okay geniuses. What should I wear?" Jaden spoke first. "First off, you've gotta get some new shoes," he replied. Yusei looked down at his brown boots. "Okay. I give on that. Maybe I could use some new shoes." Yami then came in. "And can you get some less baggy pants?" he suggested. Yusei looked at his pants. "They're not that baggy," he noted. Yami then made and noted something.

"But if your pants are a little thinner, then it might make you look a little more mature. That's what teenagers do to make themselves stick out." Yusei wasn't as keen on his idea as the first. "Look. I'm not some stupid teenager anymore! Besides, we don't even know what would look good on me." Jaden stood up. "All right then, lets go to the store and find you some new clothes." Yusei nodded. "All right, but lets make our decisions there," Yusei replied, "But the first and only impression I truly care about is Akiza's." Yami and Jaden smiled as Yusei headed for the door. This was going to fun to combine both Jaden and Yami's time periods, as far as clothing preferences goes, and see how it looked on Yusei in this current time period.

When they got to Yusei's normal clothing store (which he mainly used for boxers and socks), Jaden and Yami weren't real impressed with the selection. "What team is this?" Jaden asked as he held up a sports uniform. Yusei smiled. "It's the New Domino City Fishes," he replied. Jaden looked at him funny. "The Fishes? Really? Why would they pick that for a name?" Yusei nodded. "Trust me. Go a few miles out and there are a ton of lakes to fish in. So, that's the reason for it. Plus, even though they aren't doing so well, it's still fun to have professional sports teams in town to watch." Jaden put the uniform back on the rack.

"Where are the shoes?" Jaden asked and Yusei lead them both over to the shoes section. Jaden smiled as he looked at the various runner and tennis shoes. "All right. Now this is more like it," he said as he picked one up, "What's your shoe size?" Yusei shrugged. "Just like the rest of me: average," he replied and gave him the right number. Once they got Yusei's right size, he tried on a few different pairs. As Yusei walked with them, they were certainly different than what he was used to. He also noticed that Jaden selected a few basketball shoes. One with a player he didn't really like.

"Can you get rid of that one?" Yusei asked as he put on another shoe. "But these looked really neat," Jaden commented as Yusei came over to the box. "It's the same one Jacob Marsbury wears," Yusei said firmly, "He's a self centered basketball player, who's also a jerk, and I don't like him." Jaden shook his head. "No Yusei. These are perfect for you." Yusei sighed as he put them on. "Well...they don't feel too uncomfortable," Yusei noted, but he still wasn't happy about wearing the shoes. Jaden smiled. "See, but they're also the cool shoes that other people are wearing. Don't you wanna look cool for Akiza?" Yusei nodded and Jaden put his hands out. "Sooo...will you get them?" Yusei rolled his eyes.

"Okay. I will," Yusei said as he put them back in the box, not wanting to get into a fight. "Oh! But what about money?" he asked, "I don't know if I have enough." Jaden smiled. "Allow me," he said as he took out some money from his duel winnings. Yusei shook his hands. "No really. I couldn't." Jaden smiled. "Too late," he replied and took the box up to the register. Yami then stood next to Yusei as Jaden paid. "Now it's time for my portion," Yami noted.

In about 15 minutes, the guys were back at the garage and Yami wanted to look something up online. Yusei wanted to see what it was, but Jaden pushed him away. "This is our treat to you," Jaden replied, "Plus, it could be good for you." Yami smiled as he came over to the two of them. "All right. I know where I need to go," Yami informed them, "So lets go." Yusei then followed Jaden and Yami as they lead him somewhere.

As they walked, Yusei looked up at a store window and instantly knew they were going in here. There was tight leather clothing on the outside and Yusei instantly felt self conscious. On top of that, there were some chains and other stuff, like the one Yami had around his puzzle. "Yami. I don't really like this idea," Yusei noted as they stood outside, "I mean, I don't like chains, bars, and that kind of stuff in general." Yami smiled at him.

"You don't have to wear chains," Yami replied, "Just try some nice tight fitting leather clothes on." Yusei shook his head. "No," he replied, "I already wear a tight black shirt and you know I don't have to body to really show anything off." Yami didn't stop smiling. "Neither do I," he replied, "But that doesn't mean that you have to be built in order to wear clothes like this. Heck, if it was that way, then these clothing stores would all be out of business. Come on. Lets go inside."

Yusei went inside and felt very uncomfortable. He wasn't sure if Akiza would be all into this either. He decided to suggest being against the idea once more. "Guys. I really don't like this and I don't know if Akiza will either." Jaden looked over his shoulder at him. "Come on Yusei. Don't worry. Akiza's probably going to be happy you decided to move over from your usual style at least. And if she doesn't like it, then she can tell you what she doesn't like." Yami picked up a pair of pants and found them to be about Yusei's size. "All right. Try this on," he suggested.

Yusei went to the dressing room and felt as though he had more leg than clothes. As he put the pants on, he felt like a giant try to squeeze thorough a mouse hole. Yusei felt the hairs on his legs being pulled as he tried to pull his legs through. "Come on. Come on," Yusei said to himself as pulled the pants up. Finally, he managed to slip them on. "Ugh," he moaned, "Finally." He then buckled his pants together.

Suddenly, Yusei grimaced as the pants were now fully on. Yusei leaned over and put his hand near his groin. He felt it being squeezed very tightly, almost as if it was trying to be squished into a flat pancake or a hamburger being pressed flat. Yusei could barely walk as he was not a fan of this tightness. When he got to the entry way of the dressing room, Yami and Jaden smiled at him. "Looking good Yusei," Jaden commented. Yusei grinned his teeth together. "How can you walk like this?" he asked, "It's so freaking tight on my crotch." Yami chuckled.

"That's the point," he replied. Yusei looked up at him. "You know that I have nothing to show when it comes to my body, especially my groin." Jaden tried not to laugh. "Well...it did look like two unshelled peanuts stuck together and a miniature marshmallow sticking out when you lost your towel that one time." Yusei let that slide, as at least Jaden got his point. "Look. I'm not wearing these, unless the crotch can be made a lot freer." Yami put his shoulders up and arms out. "All right," he replied, "You can start with a little freer one and then move up to the tighter ones."

Yusei shook his head."No!" he said firmly, "No tight ones! I wear boxers for more comfort and it's the same for my pants. Just one free pair is fine with me." Yami sighed. "All right," he replied and went to find a looser freeing pair in the groin. Once he found it, Yusei made sure they fight better than the last. Even when they fit right, Yusei was still uncomfortable with how tightly they were to his thin legs, and he didn't really care for it. However, Yami wanted him to wear it, so Yusei had to get them. When Yusei went to pay for the pants, Yami was having no part of it. "I've got this," Yami said as he took out his dollar bills. He handed the cashier the right amount and the three guys left.

"All right. You have pants and shoes," Jaden commented, "Now we need to get you a good top and shirt." Yami smiled. "What about a cape?" he asked. Yusei shook his head. "No cape." Jaden then made a counter offer. "What about a different jacket?" Yusei shook his head. "No. I want a button up shirt." Yusei then got an idea. "How about this, Jaden picked my shoes, Yami picked my pants, now I'll pick my shirt. How's that? That way, I'll have a combination of everybody's ideas to show off for Akiza." Yami and Jaden looked at one another.

"I think that's a great idea," Yami noted. "Me too," Jaden added. Yusei smiled. "All right. Now I get to pick out what I wear for a top." The three guys stood as Yusei thought of where to go. "And I think I've got a pretty good idea what to get and where to go." It was now time for Yami and Jaden to follow Yusei as he lead them to another clothing store.

Later, Yusei stood in front of the mirror and looked at his attire. The basketball shoes Jaden got him, the sleek pants Yami got for him, and then the top that he picked out. Jack and Crow saw Yusei looking at himself in the mirror. "So, you planning to show that off for Akiza once she comes home from school?" Crow asked. Yusei shook his head. "Nah. I'm going to save it for a date on Friday. I want to spend a night alone with her and talk to her about what she thinks about our choices and fashion." Jack laughed. "You're really going to talk with Akiza about clothes and fashion? You do realize that Akiza and yourself hate clothes shopping?" Yusei nodded. "I know that," he replied, "But Akiza's very important to me and that means that we should be able to talk about anything to each other. If that has to be shopping and clothes, then that's the way it is." Crow's eye brows went up. "If that's true, then what have you already talked to her about that we don't know about?" Yusei stared at him. "What are you talking about Crow?" Crow bounced his eyes brows. "I'm just saying that clothes plus Akiza's chest equals talking about bra size." Yusei frowned. "That's none of my business and it's the same for you Crow." He pointed at him. "Now get out of here you pervert!" Yusei shouted and slammed the door in front of his face.

At Duel Academy, Dexter walked from his first class. Guys were still giving him glares from Saturday. Dexter looked down and kept his head down. He suddenly bonked into someone. "Sorry," he replied and looked up. He saw three guys surrounding him. "So, you like dancing with Luna huh?" the biggest one of the three asked. Dexter nodded. "Um...yeah," he replied in a shaken voice. "You like staring at her and all that romantic stuff?" Dexter nodded shyly. "Well..." the biggest one said. "How do you like this?" one of his friends asked and he smacked the book and folder out of Dexter's hands. Papers flew all over the ground and Dexter got on his hands and knees to pick it up. As usual, no one came to help and the three friends laughed as they walked away.

Later, as the final bell rang, Dexter sighed as he walked out of class. Today had been brutal and he was hopeful that tomorrow would be better. As he went to his locker, he was suddenly surrounded by some more guys, looking to pick on him some more. "Hey Dexter, how was the dance?" one of them asked, "Was it fun staring at a girl that doesn't really like you?" His words hurt, but Dexter tried his best to brush it off. "Just leave me alone," Dexter said as he got a few things from his locker and shut it.

"But come on," another teased, "Didn't you do something afterwards with her or were too chicken?" Dexter frowned. "I am not chicken," he replied, "I have a little more respect..." The guys laughed. "Really, well it doesn't surprise me that you couldn't do more with her," one of them added. "Look," Dexter said as he knew he was surrounded, "Just let me go home." A ways away, Luna was coming to check in on him. She watched as Dexter tried to get around them, but he was soon shoved into a locker door. As Dexter grimaced at the contact, Luna raced over to him.

"Dexter!" she cried worriedly as she saw him holding his left arm. She turned to the bullies as they laughed at him. "Why don't you just leave him alone?" Luna asked angrily. The guys still smiled at her. "Oh lookey here. Dexter can't stick up for himself, so he has to have Luna do it for him." They laughed. "What a wimp," another added. As Dexter looked over, he saw Luna put arms out, as if she was protecting him. 'They're right,' Dexter thought, 'I am a wimp.'

As Luna stood in front of him, almost like a shield, she gave the guys a mean look. "Look, just stop picking on him! He didn't do anything wrong on Saturday night! So, just leave him alone!" The guys laughed. "Fine, but you'd better dump him fast. He's a total wimp and a loser," the one in charge said mockingly. Luna growled at them as they walked away. When they were finally out of sight, she turned around, and smiled. "Well...now that that's over, why don't we get going?" Dexter nodded slightly and didn't feel very good about what just happened.

He remained quiet until they made it all the way outside. Luna was worried about how sad and disappointed he looked. She tightened her grip on her backpack straps. "Dexter, did you have a bad day?" Dexter nodded, without saying a word. "Well..." Luna started, "How about we all go over to Yusei's place? I can call Leo and get us over there in a flash." Dexter's voice was soft and quiet. "Um...no. That's okay." Luna frowned. "Dexter, is what happened just now really upsetting you that much?" Dexter shook his head as he finally looked up at her. "No. It's fine. I'm kind of used to getting picked on." Luna frowned.

"Dexter, I..." Luna didn't feel comfortable, but she knew she had to say it. "I know how much you've been bullied at school and I know there have been instances where you haven't said anything."

_Flashback_

A few years earlier, a younger Luna spotted a younger Dexter walking out. His eyes were red and he appeared to have been crying. Maybe, he was even about to start yet again. "Hey Dexter!" Luna called to him, "Is everything all right?" Dexter wiped his eyes, once he removed his glasses. "Yeah. I'm fine," he replied as he put them back on. Luna frowned. "Did you not do so well on a test?" Dexter nodded. "Uh...yeah," he lied. Luna frowned. "Well don't worry," she replied and put a hand on his shoulder, "I know that you did you best." Dexter managed a tiny smile. "Thanks Luna," he answered, "I'll see you later." Luna smiled as Dexter ran off. "All right! Bye!" she said in a kind voice.

A little while later, Luna was walking around school, when she saw three guys standing in a circle. They were all laughing as she walked by. "So I was picking on that Dexter kid today and man! What a dweeb!" Luna frowned as she stopped to listen in on their conversation. "Yeah," another one said, "That Dexter's such a loser!" Luna frowned and bit her lip. 'That must have been why Dexter was so upset,' Luna though and she quickly ran away.

_End Flashback_

"I know you've been picked on and bullied a lot Dexter," Luna said as she finished her flashback montage. She then smiled. "But I want you to know that you're still my friend and that all of your friends don't see you as a dweeb, a dork, or any of those other mean, hurtful names." Luna closed her eyes and tried to make Dexter smile. "But..." Dexter said as he looked down, "Don't you think I'm a wimp?" Luna was stunned. "What?" she replied a bit confused, "No! I..."

"You had to protect me," Dexter noted, "And you had to stick up for me. I know I'm not big or strong or any of that stuff." Luna frowned. "Dexter!" She grabbed him by the shoulders and gently pushed him against the brick wall, near the entrance of the school. "Dexter! I don't think you're a wimp and I don't mind sticking up for you! In fact, that was one of my proudest moments in a very long time! Probably since I was a Singer and helped save the world!" Dexter didn't understand.

"Dexter, I know you've been bullied since Kindergarten and I know you've tried to stick up for yourself. You've asked for advice and tried it, but just about nothing worked." Dexter nodded. "Yeah, but...isn't the guy suppose to protect the girl in a relationship?" Luna smiled. "I don't care about that. All I care about is making sure you're happy. So, don't worry about it. I don't mind sticking up for you." Dexter looked up. "Really?" Luna nodded and smiled. "Yes. So...can we go check in on Yusei, Akiza, and the others?" Dexter nodded a little, as any place other than school sounded good to him right now. "Okay," he replied and Luna called Leo. Soon, they were heading over to the garage.

As Yusei went and was about to change into his normal clothes, as he was still in the bathroom, he heard another knock at the door. "I said, I'm not asking Akiza about her bra size!" Yusei shouted at the door. There was yet another knock. "I said I'm not talking to Akiza about the size of her boobs!" Once more time, a third knock. Yusei walked towards the door and shouted. "I said, 'Akiza's boobs are huge, but I don't need to see...'" Outside, where Leo, Luna, and Dexter. "'How big,'" Yusei finished his sentence. Leo giggled. "What about Akiza's huge boobs?" he asked. Yusei just stared at him. "Uh..." Yusei moaned, before going down to Leo's height. "Why wants a tickle fight?" he asked and started tickling Leo through his uniform, on his stomach. Leo fell back and laughed as Luna and Dexter joined in. Soon, the three of them were rolling around of the floor laughing and tickling.

When they finally were worn out, Leo, Luna, and Dexter took notice of Yusei's weird outfit. "Yusei, what's with the weird getup?" Leo asked. Yusei looked at his clothes. "Uhh...it's just something I was going to wear for Akiza," he noted. They all stood up and the three of them looked him over. "You need a belt," Luna noted. "And a tie," Dexter added. "Maybe even unbutton a few buttons," Leo concluded. Yusei looked at them funny, but maybe they were right and maybe this would make him look even better. "Well, if you want to make those changes, then go get them for me, because I have no clue on clothes." The three of them grew wide eyed and Luna and Dexter ran off. "We'll be back in a little bit," Luna said and they raced out the door. Yusei looked down at Leo. "So, when are you going to do your part?" Leo laughed. "If you need to undo a button, then you need to bend down, so I can reach it." Yusei laughed and let Leo undo the top button.

As Luna and Dexter went to get their ideas, they split off and agreed to meet back at the garage. While they were away, Yusei talked to Leo about his day at school. "Did everything go okay at the party on Saturday?" Yusei asked. "Oh yeah. It was great," Leo replied, "So many kids were acting really goofy." Yusei smiled. "Oh really? Did you get goofy too?" Leo shook his head. "No. They were drinking some really gross smelling stuff." Yusei nodded. "Oh. Smelly stuff." His face quickly turned sour. "Wait! Smelly stuff?"

Yusei quickly grabbed Leo's shoulder, as he made funny faces into the mirror. "Listen Leo, that 'funny stuff,' was alcohol. You must not drink it, unless Akiza or I say so." Leo looked confused at him. "Alcohol, isn't that the stuff we had at the WRGP?" Yusei nodded. "Yes, but we did not drink it, because we were not 21 yet." As Yusei talked to him some more and gave him a serious talk, Luna and Dexter came with their stuff. "Okay, we're ready," Luna noted.

Once Yusei put the stuff on, he smiled. "All right. I don't think this train can go any farther..." Jack and Crow came by and saw Yusei's attire. "Hey Yusei, why are you wearing those socks?" Yusei looked at him. "Wh...socks? They're socks! They're fine!" Jack shook his head. "No. Lets have them be shorter." Yusei rolled his eyes. What started as a nice little thing with Yami and Jaden, how now turned into a "how can I get my idea in on Yusei." Yusei put his arms in the air. "If you wanna get me other socks, get them yourself." Jack shrugged.

"Okay. I've got a clean pair." Crow smiled. "Me too! Hey! You can have one of mine and one of Jack's." When Jack and Crow got one of their socks, Yusei went over his outfit. "Okay. I have shoes from Jaden, socks from Jack and Crow, pants from Yami, a belt from Luna, a shirt for me, unbuttoned button for Leo, and a bowtie from Dexter. Okay. Is this everything?" Everyone all nodded and smiled as they stood by the bathroom. "Okay. Now I'm showing this for Akiza for our date on Friday."

"Did you ask her out yet?" Jack asked. "Noooo," Yusei said slowly. Jack just hit head with his hand and sighed.

As everyone stood around the bathroom, they heard a door open and close. "Who's that?" Leo asked. "Hello? Yusei?" Akiza's voice called. "It's Akiza!" Jaden cried, "Yusei! Change clothes!" They all rushed out of the bathroom and Akiza came upstairs, just before they could all make it back to the stairs. "Hey guys. What's going on? Why are you all up here?" Everybody else looked at each other. "Uhh..." they moaned.

"Yusei's sick!" Jaden cried. "Yeah," Yami replied, "He was throwing up." Akiza gasped and pushed by them. As Yusei tried to get Jack's socks off, he heard the door knock. "Yusei, is everything all right?" Yusei quickly went and pushed the lock in. "Y...Yeah," Yusei replied. "How much have you thrown up?" Akiza asked as she tried to open up the door. "Thrown up?" Yusei whispered to himself, "What?" He quickly got his clothes off and started putting his old ones on. He put his black and red shirt on his lean chest and his jacket over his thin arms. He then got the rest of his clothes on and hid his new clothes behind the shower curtain.

"Okay. I think I'm okay now," Yusei lied. He opened the door. "I think I got it all out." As soon as the door opened, Akiza's face went right to his head. "Yusei, are you having a fever? Are you red?" She felt his head and face. "You don't seem to be sick. Are you sure you're all right? Lets look at your vomit." Akiza went to the toilet and saw nothing. "I flushed it all away," Yusei noted, "It's probably just some bad meat that Jack bought." Akiza looked at him.

"So food poisoning?" she concluded. Yusei knew that, if it was that, he'd be much sicker than right now. "No...I...ate too much," he replied, "But I feel a lot better now." Akiza frowned. "Yusei. I know you want to eat meat and no lose a lot of weight, but please don't eat so much." She smiled at him. Yusei nodded and told her he wouldn't devourer so much. "But you still should go to bed," Akiza noted, "Now off to bed." Yusei went downstairs with her and Akiza told everyone that Yusei needed rest.

"Now I want you all to go upstairs and to not bother him," Akiza said firmly. Everyone made sure to listen to her strict tone and went upstairs. Akiza stayed downstairs as Yusei removed his jacket, after just recently putting it on, and he then laid in bed. Akiza pulled the sheets up and smiled as she pulled up a chair. She rubbed his forehead with her hand. "Yusei. I want to make sure that you're okay and don't get worse. Do you want me to get you some medicine for your tummy?" Yusei chuckled.

"No, my, 'puking,' was my medicine." Akiza smiled. "Okay," she said and kissed his forehead. "Hey Akiza," Yusei said as she continued to smile and rub his head, "Could we got out Friday night? There's something important I want to show you." Akiza smiled. "All right," she replied, "Sounds like fun." She gave him one more kiss. "I'd better let you rest. I have some homework and a test to study for." She quickly headed for the door. "Good night Yusei. Sleep tight."

"Good night," Yusei replied as she headed out. Even as she left, Yusei remained in bed. "All right," Yusei said to himself, "I hope Akiza likes my new outfit. Especially since my friends helped me make it."

Even after Akiza left, Yusei remained in bed. Jack went by and saw Yusei still laying in bed. "Yusei. Get out of there, you're not really sick!" Yusei shrugged as he turned over. "Hey Akiza told me to stay in bed, so I'm staying in bed. Besides, maybe I can catch up on my sleep." Jack rolled his eyes. "Whatever. She must have you on some kind of leash or something." Jack went away and let Yusei sleep. Later, Yusei sighed as, after a half hour, he got up, and got his new outfit from the shower. He put it back near his bed and smiled, as he couldn't wait for Friday night.

When Friday did finally come, everyone came over, including the twins and Dexter. "So when's Akiza coming over?" Leo asked. Yusei smiled. "I'm going over to her place," he replied, "That way, she gets surprised, and she gets to see it when we're alone." Jack rolled his eyes. "Hey, when she sees your fantastic socks, she can thank me for them!" Yusei sighed. "All right Jack. She'll get to see my fantastic socks." He looked away. "Even though I can barely see them now," he muttered under his breath.

When Yusei left for Akiza's, everyone else cheered and asked Yusei for promoting their part of the outfit. Yusei just said he would, as he walked out. He then walked over to Akiza's on a rather cool night. "It's a good thing I brought a jacket," he said as he put it on, "Plus, this way, I'll be able to take it off and surprise her." As Yusei looked at the outfit in a store window, he thought of everybody, and how they all wanted to help him look good for her. Still, Yusei wondered if Akiza would even care or maybe she'd just shrug and all their work would be for not.

'No!' Yusei thought, 'If they all put the time and effort into it, Akiza will surely like it.' He confidently walked up to the gate, swiped the security card Akiza gave him, and then headed on in. When he got to the door, he unzipped his jacket a little bit. "Coming," Akiza shouted as she raced for the door. When she got there, Yusei was all smiles. "Hey Akiza!" Yusei said as he wrapped her in a hug. He then gave her a big kiss on the cheek. Once Akiza was done with Yusei's big smooch, they leaned back.

"So, what's this big surprise about?" Akiza questioned as Yusei took a step back.

"Well...this," he replied and unzipped the jacket. He then put his hands in the air and smiled. Akiza looked at him from head to toe and put her hand to her chin. "Oh...wow," she said with not much enthusiasm, "It's...nice." Yusei put his arms down. "You...don't like it?" he asked. Akiza looked at him again and her head bobbed up and down. She gave him a sour look. "It just doesn't seem like you," she replied, "Except for this."

She pulled on a dark green button up shirt, that looked similar to the one Dexter had worn to the dance (only much bigger obviously). Luna had told him about it and, when Yusei had gone to look for his part of the outfit, it instantly caught his eyes. When he tried it on, it looked rather good on him, so Yusei decided to get it. "Well...that is the one part of the outfit I picked out." Akiza looked up at him confused.

"Really, well then who did the rest?" Yusei smiled. "Our friends did," he replied, "For starters..." Akiza shook her hands. "No! Wait! Let me pick out who did what!" Yusei nodded and then gave her the names. "Well...Dexter obviously did the bow tie," Akiza started. She then noticed Yusei didn't button the top button. "You normally button all the way up, so maybe Crow wanted you to show some skin?" Yusei shook his head.

"No. You're way off." He leaned in close. "It's a guy who's even shorter than Crow." Akiza laughed. "Then it must be Leo!" she concluded and Yusei nodded. "This shirt is yours and the buckle..." She looked at and knew Leo was out. Jack and Crow didn't own a pair like this and it looked kind of small for Yusei (even with his trim waistline). "That must be Luna," she replied, "She's using Leo's belt." Yusei nodded.

"The shoes look rather sporty, so that must be Jaden and leather pants are definitely Yami's." Akiza leaned back. "I don't see where Jack and Crow came in." Yusei lifted his pants and could feel the extremely tight material rubbing against the hairs on his legs. "Socks," he said. Akiza stared at them. "Oh...wow. I guess they took a lot of time and effort with that one," she concluded. Yusei laughed.

"Yeah. It was like two seconds." Akiza smiled as she leaned on him. "Still," Yusei admitted, "Most of this stuff I didn't want. The bowtie, button, and belt are fine, but everything else isn't my style." Akiza frowned. "I think you should pick an outfit that you want," Akiza said and then got an idea. "How about we go out to eat and then go out shopping for some new clothes!" Yusei raised an eye brow. "Clothes shopping? I never thought we'd do that." Akiza smiled. "Look. Lets just pick an outfit that you like," she replied, "The whole thing." Yusei frowned. "But what about everyone else?" he asked, "Will they be upset that you didn't like it?" Akiza shook her head. "It was fine," she replied, "But this one's just for you with you get to say if it looks good or not. Not to mention, I'll also have some input as well. Would you like that?" Yusei smiled wrapped her in a hug. "That sounds wonderful Akiza." He gave her a kiss. "You're so smart." Akiza blushed.

"Thanks. Now lets get going! I'm starving!" Yusei took her hand and they headed outside. The restaurant wasn't that far away, so it was only a short walk. When they got there, Akiza couldn't help, but watch as some people looked at Yusei funny. Yusei was starting to feel uncomfortable and pulled on Akiza's extremely stretched out shirt, as they waited for a table.

"Akiza, can we go shopping now?" he asked. Akiza looked over and saw some of the hosts laughing at Yusei's attire. Akiza had never seen Yusei so desperate to go shopping. "All right," she replied and took his hand. Once they were outside, she had thought of a game plan. "We'll just get some fast food at the mall," Akiza decided. Yusei frowned. "I'm sorry Akiza," he apologized as they started walking again. Akiza looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Yusei. It's okay. I want to see you happy, just as much as you want to see me happy." Yusei still felt bad. "Yeah, but my big surprise was a total flop." Akiza shook her head.

"No it wasn't Yusei. You wanted to do something to help yourself, your friends, and me. That was very sweet." They stopped at a corner and Akiza snuck him a kiss. Yusei put his hand where her lips had pressed and he turned to her. "However," Akiza added, "You're the one who has to wear it, so you should have a say in if you want to wear it." Yusei nodded and told her that he knew that. When the light turned green, Akiza and Yusei walked across the street, and into a small strip mall.

There, they ordered fast food, and sat down to eat. Yusei sighed as he looked at his burger, feeling like he had ruined the night. "Yusei, it's okay," Akiza reassured him, "Besides, I get to spend the night with you, That makes me extremely happy." Yusei looked up and saw Akiza smile at him. It was impossible for him not to smile back. They had small talk, until they finished up eating. When their wrappers and such were in the garbage, they walked hand-in-hand to a clothing store. There, Akiza suggested some nice black pants.

"But only if you want them," Akiza noted. Yusei felt them and they were not as tight as the ones he had on now. Yusei nodded and Akiza smiled as he took a pair to try on. When he found one that fit, after a couple tries, he smiled as they headed for another section of the store. This one was the shoe section and Yusei growled when he saw the brand that he had on right now. "O...kay. We are clearly not getting you that pair," Akiza noted as Yusei was staring at it angerly, almost as if the shoe was a real person. She managed to pull Yusei away, until they found some regular shoes.

"How about these?" Akiza asked as she suggested some. "I actually want to try these," Yusei noted for a different pair. Akiza smiled. "It's your shoes Yusei, so you pick the one you like." Yusei smiled as he tried on the pair and it fit him well. Akiza smiled as they took the box and headed for another section. Since Yusei's dress shirt was one he picked, they avoided that section and, instead, headed for the tie section.

"I don't know how to tie a tie," Yusei noted and Akiza giggled. She took one tie that she thought looked good on him and, before Yusei could say Akiza's name, she had it all tied up for him. Yusei smiled as he went to the mirror. "If I get this, would you tie it for me?" Yusei asked a bit awkwardly. Akiza giggled. "Of course," she replied and the two them stood next to each other as they looked into the small mirror. Yusei smiled as he wrapped his arms around Akiza's waistline.

"We sure look good together," Yusei said as he gave her a kiss. Akiza smiled as they were cheek to cheek. "I'm so happy to have you in my life Yusei. Thank you for everything you've ever done for me." Yusei looked into her brown eyes. "You're welcome Akiza and I would do it all in heartbeat. Just for you." Akiza smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder. Yusei just held her and they both felt each other's warmth spreading to the other.

When they were done with their romantic moment, it was time for something unromantic: paying for Yusei's stuff. When Yusei went to the counter, Yusei felt guilt as he saw her pulling out her debt card. Yusei sighed. "Akiza, are you sure you don't want me to pay for it, since it's my stuff?" Akiza shook her head. "Yusei. I've told you a million times that you don't have to do that. What you've done for me makes it more than worth it." Yusei looked down as Akiza paid for everything. Did Akiza really feel as though she was always having to re-pay Yusei? He didn't know, but he wanted her to be sure that she didn't feel that way about him.

When they were walking back to Akiza's house, Yusei stopped at a corner. "Akiza," he said softly. Yusei wrapped her in a hug as soon as she looked at him. "You know that you're the best person in the world right?" Akiza smiled. "Well...yes Yusei. You've told me that before." Yusei sighed. "Well...I want you to know that you're not in debt to me for what I did for you and your family." He gently brushed her hair aside for her.

"You're happiness means a lot to me." Akiza smiled and gave him a peck on the lips. "I know that Yusei. Thanks." Akiza gave him one more kiss. As they started walking again, Yusei still felt like something was wrong. However, he just couldn't quite put his finger on it. They continued walking until they got to Akiza's house once more. "Well...thanks Akiza. For everything," Yusei proclaimed. Akiza nodded. "You're welcome Yusei. Thanks for the date. I hope you had fun clothes shopping." Yusei nodded. "I did. Especially since I was there with you." The two kissed and Akiza opened the door. "I'll see you later Yusei." Yusei nodded and waved goodbye.

As Yusei walked, he still thought about Akiza, and why she still felt so guilty. Yusei thought about all they had done: kissed, dated, hugged, talked. But what was causing her this guilt? As Yusei walked, he spotted a couple leaning up against the side of a building. The guy leaned against the wall, with the girl staring deep into his eyes. "I love you," the guy said. "I love you too," she responded and they kissed.

Suddenly, it hit Yusei. They had said that they would love to do stuff together or kiss or be affectionate, etc. However, Yusei had never told Akiza that he loved her! Just her and no one else. Yusei's eyes got big and he now started running home (while keeping his stuff in the bag). He knew now why Akiza might feel guilty and he had to make things right.

**A/N: I think it's pretty obvious what will happen next Chapter. I hope you'll enjoy it and enjoyed this one!**


	15. Sleepover Love

**Chapter 15!  
**

**Bentstua: Good joke about the potato sack! While I didn't use you plan from this Chapter, I did use an idea from a while back. Thanks for the suggestion though!  
**

**Shiori Kudo: Correct and thanks for the review! I hope you've enjoyed reading this story!**

**A/N: Here's the Chapter where Yusei finally says those three little words to Akiza! I hope you all enjoy it!**

As Yusei raced home, he quickly wondered how he could tell Akiza those three special words. When he got to the apartment, he found that only Jack, Crow, Yami, and Jaden were left at the garage. "Hey you guys!" Yusei said out of breath. Jack and everyone else looked at him. "Yusei, where is your outfit?" Jack asked. Yusei held up his shopping bag. Crow looked at him. "Did Akiza and you go shopping?" Yusei nodded as Jack came over to him. "So your girlfriend didn't like your outfit?" Yusei shrugged. "She said it was fine, but she wanted me wearing something that I was happy with and she'd also have some input in." Jack frowned.

"So you're saying that Akiza's input's more important than ours?" Yusei shrugged again and was a bit slow to answer. "Well...the outfit is for her," Yusei noted, not trying to admit the truth. Jack sighed. "Well...did she at least like my socks?" Yusei knew what Jack's response was going to be, but he still admitted the truth. "She thought they were okay. After all, they are just socks." Jack just scowled as Yusei gave him his socks back. "These are a champion's socks," Jack noted as he took each one back to their proper spot. Yusei just sighed and felt like he had bigger fish to fry.

As Yusei went to wash up for bed, he wasn't sure how he was going to tell Akiza that he loved her. He had made it this far right? Still, there was something magical about those three little words. It was something special. He had said it to Martha before, but there was something greater when it came to saying it to Akiza. Yusei knew he had those feelings for Akiza and he was almost certain that she reciprocated those feelings back at him. At the same time, Yusei sighed. He wanted things to be perfect, just like their first kiss was. However, Akiza had been the one to decide when that was, so should he try the same thing again? As in, having her be the one to say it?

Yusei shook his head. This was one time that he had to be the confident one and try to tell her. After all, he knew how he felt about her, and so he should be the one to tell her. Still, even as Yusei tried to feel confident about the whole ordeal, he secretly felt very nervous. What if Akiza didn't really feel that same way? After all, she hadn't told him that she loved him. So...could there be some disconnect between the two of them? Yusei shook his head and tried to think of a plan. After all, he really wanted to do it in a way that would make both of them happy.

He went downstairs and got into bed. As he looked up, he thought about what he had done before in a situation like this: wanting to giver her a teddy bear, trying to plan the perfect sleepover, and going out on a date with her. Yusei decided that maybe it would be time to try a different approach. Maybe surprising her would be a good way. He smiled. 'Maybe a surprise won't be so bad,' he thought, 'The only problem is knowing when's the right time to spring it.'

The next morning, Yusei got up to the loud music coming from Jack and Crow's room. Yami and Jaden got up as well and they all sighed of relief once the music was turned off. When Jack and Crow came downstairs, the other three fully grown men gave them an ear full. "Why'd you have to play that music so loud?" Yami asked in a very upset tone. "Yeah," Yusei added, "I could call Zora up and get both of you kicked out of here." Jack scowled at Yusei's suggestion. "You'd never have the balls to do that," Jack replied, causing Yusei to grit his teeth. It's true Jack and Crow were his friends, but sometimes, he wished he wasn't.

Later, Jack and Crow were gone, and Yusei could talk to Yami and Jaden alone. "You guys. I need your help." Yami and Jaden smiled. "With what Yusei?" Jaden asked with a smile on his face. Yusei looked down and then back up at them. "I...I need to tell Akiza that I love her." Yami was confused. "What are you talking about?" Yami asked, "You've told her that you love her before." Yusei shook his head. "No I haven't," he admitted, "I've told her that I'd love to do stuff with her or involving other things, but I've never told her that I love her." Yami frowned.

"That is a pickle," he replied, "So, what do you want us to do?" Yusei sighed. "I just need to know when would be a good time to tell her and surprise her." Jaden nodded. "All right. I think it should be when you're alone with her. But what do you mean by surprise?" Yusei looked away. "I don't know," he admitted, "I mean, I could do something for her, like an event. However, I have no idea about what that surprise could be." Yami shrugged. "Well...you could plan a surprise party for her." Yusei shook his head.

"That's too much work," he replied, "Besides, Akiza already knows that she's great. Surprise parties are for people who need to be cheered up or something like that." Yami sighed. "Well...you could just invite her for a date," Yami replied, "Get a gift like that one date and then tell her, for the first time, that you love her when you give it to her." Yusei smiled. He had wanted to avoid this route, but maybe it was a sign that Yami suggested it. "Well...I was hoping to do something different, but those bears did say, 'I love you,' on them. So...I could do that." Yami and Jaden smiled as Yusei got up. "Thanks guys," he replied and went to his room.

When Akiza came over, everything seemed normal at the start. However, a few minutes after everyone got settled, Akiza tugged on Yusei's broad shoulder. "Yusei, can we talk in a little bit." Yusei turned to her and became concerned. He took both of her hands. "Akiza, are you okay?" Akiza smiled. "Yes Yusei. Everything's all right." Yusei calmed his nerves down. "I just want to talk to you about something," she continued. Yusei nodded. "Okay," he said softly and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

About fifteen minutes later, Akiza took Yusei's hand, and she lead him upstairs. Yusei followed and, of course, Crow thought it meant something different. He puckered his lips and made smooching noises at them, as Yusei and Akiza both rolled their eyes. When they got up there, Yusei turned, and faced her. He tried to smile and asked her what she needed from him. "Well...I was hoping you could come over on Friday night," she began. Yusei chimed in happily. "That's great," he replied, "You wanna go on another date?" Akiza nodded. "Yes, but..."

"But what?" Yusei questioned. Akiza sighed. "Would...you be willing to stay overnight too?" Yusei nodded. "Of course," he answered, "It'll be just like that sleepover a while ago. Leo, Luna, Jack, Crow, Dexter..." Akiza cut him off. "Actually, I wanted it to just be you and me. See, my parents are out of town, this weekend, for a senate trip. I didn't want to spend the night all alone, so I was asking for your help with that." Yusei nodded. "Yeah. I understand," he answered back, "What time do you want me to come over?" Akiza smiled. "Seven should be perfect." Yusei nodded. "Okay," he replied, "Seven it is then." Akiza leaned forward and the two kissed on the lips.

"I need to go to the bathroom," she replied, "It feels good to get this weight off my chest." Yusei let her go. "Yeah," he replied and then watched her enter the lavatory. When Akiza went inside, Yusei's mind raced. 'A sleepover? On Friday? By ourselves?' Yusei's mind then flooded with thoughts on what was yet to come.

_Yusei imagines_

He saw Akiza in her bra and panties, smiling at him. "Oh Yusei. I'm so glad we're here all alone together..." She crawled over the sleeping bags on the floor. "Now that we're by ourselves, we can do so many things." She leaned over his left shoulder. "So many _naughty things." _Yusei felt his neck start to sweat. "Y...yeah," he replied feverishly_. _Akiza giggled as she moved in close. She wrapped her arms around him and Yusei felt her ginormous chest press into him, spilling over both his and Akiza's chest. Yusei looked down and realized, for the first time, he was only sitting his boxers.

Akiza gently pushed him down against the bag and smiled as she keeled down over him. Yusei found his breath to be going like crazy, as well as his heartbeat. Akiza smiled as she looked over him, almost as if he was a delicious steak dinner. "I'm going to do so much to you that you won't be able to feel anything once I'm done with you," Akiza said and leaned over once more. Yusei watched as she kept her buttocks high in the air. "But don't worry Yusei. It'll feel so good that you'll beg me to do it again and again." She leaned back and smirked at him one more time. She closed her eyes and leaned in for a big, smoochy kiss.

_End Yusei's Imagination_

"Yusei! Yusei!" Akiza called as Yusei continued to stand in the room. She waved her hand at him and he still was staring into space. She finally leaned over and kissed him on the lips. This, to Akiza's relief, broke him out of his daze. "Ahh!" Yusei said and suddenly leaned back. "Yusei, what's wrong?" Yusei looked confused at her. "What?" he asked. Akiza frowned. "You backed away when I kissed you." Akiza looked down. "I hope that doesn't mean you don't like my kissing anymore." Yusei smiled.

"Of course not Akiza. I could never get enough of your kisses." He gently cupped her chin and tried to hold it still as he gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You're such a great woman Akiza. How could I possibly not enjoy being affectionate with you?" He wrapped his arms around her and looked deep into her eyes. Like a hypnotist, Akiza stared intently back into his eyes. They stayed like that for a few moments, almost as if they were peering into each other's deepest thoughts, and feelings. After a few moments, Akiza leaned back.

"All right. Thank you Yusei." He nodded and they headed back downstairs. 'I may love being affectionate with you,' Yusei thought, 'But I'm scared about how well I'll perform when we're super affectionate.' When they got back, Crow laughed as they sat back down. "We haven't even done anything," Akiza noted as he laughed. Crow smiled. "Okay. How many times did you kiss while you were up there?" Yusei shrugged.

"I don't know. Like three or something." Crow put his hands in the air. "Yes! I win the bet!" Akiza figured out what he meant by that. "So wait, you were taking bets as to how many times we kissed while you weren't there?" Crow nodded. "Bingo! Now Jack had to smell my laundry socks." Jack folded his arms. "So how many did you guess Jack?" Yusei asked. Jack looked away.

"He said it would be like twenty and I guessed ten," Crow answered for him, "So, since I was the closest, I win." Yusei turned to Leo and Luna. "You guys didn't go in on it?" Akiza asked. Luna nodded. "That's none of our business and besides, we like it when you kiss a lot. It means that you two must really like each other." Yusei turned to Leo. "You feel the same way Leo?" Yusei wondered, curious if the male twin was starting to get used to people being affectionate.

"Uh...yeah. It's okay," he replied. In truth, Leo had been thinking about Luna and Dexter going out a lot lately. He had debated on how to handle the whole ordeal, especially when they would stating being affectionate with one another. It hadn't happened yet, due to Dexter being so shy about it. However, Leo knew both members of the couple very well and he knew that, once the doors opened, it would be practically non-stop. Luna seemed like a person who would love being affectionate with whoever she dated, and Dexter, as shy as he was, seemed to really want affection as well. Leo figured that Akiza and Yusei were already affectionate constantly, so he should get used to it once Dexter and Luna start going at it. The only thing Leo would not tolerate is Luna getting pregnant, but that was another story and Leo knew Dexter would wait until he had a ring on his finger first.

"So, should we get going?" Akiza asked as she faced the twins. Leo groaned, but Akiza noted the big test he had coming up. Luna smiled and the three of them got up to leave. Yusei quickly raced to Akiza, to give her another kiss, and a hug. "Thank you Yusei. I can't wait!" Yusei nodded. "Me too Akiza." They shared one last kiss, before Akiza headed up to the twins. As they left, Yami was going ask Yusei a much more serious question about what happened upstairs.

"So Yusei, what happened upstairs between you and Akiza? Besides the kissing I mean?" Yusei looked over at him. How could he tell him that Akiza wanted him to sleepover? Let alone by himself? Yusei knew he'd have to tell them sooner or later and, since they were a little more mature than Crow and less serious than Jack, he figured that they might understand some more. He waiting as Jack and Crow got up to leave and to go work on their Turbo Dueling decks. Once they were gone, Yusei spilled the beans.

"Um...well...Akiza's parents are going to be out of town for the weekend, so she asked me to stay over on Friday night to keep her company." Yami looked surprised, but Jaden smiled. "So...you think she's gonna ask you to then come to bed with her and..." Yusei immediately stopped him in his tracks. "No! Akiza has a little bit of self control!" he replied. Yami chuckled. "Come on Yusei. We're only teasing. Lighten up a little." Yusei tired to smile, even though he still didn't like Jaden's distrust in Akiza.

"Still, I think that a sleepover by yourself would be a great bonding moment," Yami continued, "Maybe Akiza wants to tell you something." Yusei looked at him confused. "Like what?" he asked. Yami shrugged. "Maybe she wants a more physical relationship." Yusei rolled his eyes. "Oh come on you guys! Akiza is fine with us being physical with our clothes on. Why does a sleepover sound like it's a call for something more? And besides, we'll probably sleep on a air mattress with sleeping bags. So, we can't both fit into one sleeping bag." Jaden then made a point. "Well...Akiza is rather petite," he noted, "Besides her chest." Yusei just put his hands in the air.

"All right! That's it," he shouted and just went upstairs.

Still, as Yusei went away from them, were they right? Did Akiza want a more physical relationship? They were both adults and were almost exactly one year apart. Did Akiza want a more adult relationship that came with...benefits? Yusei thought he knew Akiza and he thought that he knew that Akiza had no desire to do that. Still, Akiza mentioning that her parents were gone and that fact that she wanted him to keep her company were odd things to say. However, Yusei's mind went back to when Akiza found those pictures of her on his laptop.

'Maybe the realization that I find her so attractive makes her think that she has to step up her game,' Yusei thought as he sat on the toilet. Yet, Akiza admitted to doing to the same thing, but Yusei didn't feel any different. He still saw Akiza as beautiful and amazing as ever. His love for her was even stronger than that time, but he didn't feel the need to push her. Still, Akiza could have changed her mind since then, and maybe Yusei had to change his mind again.

The next day when Yusei was going to make lunch, he sighed as he saw that he was almost out of break, milk, and lunch meat. "Crap. Now I have to go to the store," Yusei muttered. He sighed as, once he made a different lunch, he went to Zora's house, and she was more than happy to give him her car keys. Yusei smiled as he took them and Zora gave him a clever comment about liking Akiza. To be honest, he had gotten used to her teasing, and, although he didn't admit it, Martha and her were right most of the time. They would kid about them always being affectionate and just how close the two were. Still, Yusei had gotten less annoyed by it, and just accepted that he would always get grief about Akiza. Still, it was better that they were talking about them both liking each other rather than hating one another. Plus, hearing news that Akiza talked to Martha and how much she enjoyed their most recent date, for example, was good news in Yusei's ears.

When Yusei got to the store, he sighed as he picked up the few things he needed, plus some other things that he was getting low on. "Maybe I'll take a short cut through the pharmacy," Yusei noted to himself, as he wanted to get in and out as quickly as possible. As he wiggled in and out of people's way, he quickly noticed what aisle he was next to.

The pregnancy aisle.

Yusei quickly glanced at it. 'What if you need that on Friday?' his mind wondered. Yusei bit his lip and made a mad face. "No. Akiza would never risk it and besides, everything will turn out just fine on Friday." Another customer looked at Yusei funny as he talked to himself, before Yusei walked by, and got his stuff checked out. Yusei smiled as Yami and Jaden had won a pretty nice sum of cold hard cash since joining the dueling league. It wasn't professional money, but it did make life a whole lot easier. Once Yusei got his things bagged for him, he thanked the cashier, and moved outside. He got in Zora's car and slowly took his time getting home.

When Yusei got back, he went over the kitchen, and put his things away. Yami then came up to him. "Listen, Yusei, did you ever think of a way to tell Akiza that you love her?" Yusei looked up. "Um...not yet," he replied. Yami shrugged. "Well...keep thinking. I'm sure you'll think of something." Yusei did and it was not even fifteen minutes later, when Jaden came up to him. "Thought of a way to tell Akiza you love her?" he asked. Yusei shook his head. "No," he replied, "But don't tell her until I already have. Got it?" Jaden nodded and Yusei sighed. Not only did he have to deal with being physical with Akiza, but also telling her that good news.

When Friday came, Yusei was still unsure about how to tell Akiza or what the real goal of this sleepover was. Akiza had contacted him briefly, saying that all Yusei needed to bring was the essentials (sleep mask, toothbrush, shaving equipment, etc.). Still, Yusei thanked her for doing all this, but she replied that she was more than happy to. She was especially glad that they could go both on a date and also have him stay over. When Yusei was leaving, Crow gave him a call girl whistle. Yusei rolled his eyes, as he walked to Akiza's place.

When he got there, he stood outside and waited at the door for about a minute. When the door opened, Akiza was covered in two towels. "Sorry Yusei! I was in the shower. Come on in and I'll be ready in just a few minutes." Yusei smiled. "Don't worry Akiza. Take all the time you need." Akiza thanked him and he watched her head towards the steps, but he quickly looked away not wanting to see something he's not suppose to. "Good thing I didn't hug her right away," Yusei thought out loud, "That would be incredibly awkward."

As Yusei sat on the living room couch, he spotted the air mattress already blow up for them. He then spotted two sleeping bags rolled out for them. He went over and set his things down, although he did notice that Akiza put the bags both next to each other and on one mattress. "It looks like we're almost sleeping together," Yusei said as he went back to the couch. When he sat back down, Akiza came over and covered his eyes. "Guess who?" she asked.

"Akiza!" Yusei shouted as she let go and Yusei turned around. When he saw her in a beautiful ruby red dress. Yusei gulped as there was an odd black cloth covering Akiza's chest. "Akiza, if I may ask, what's with the black cloth?" Akiza smiled. "I didn't have time to get a custom ordered dress, so I had to store by one. I then asked on of my parent's servants to sew this black part to cover my chest a little better." Yusei nodded, but kept his eyes on the black cloth. 'She sure must have a lot of cleavage if she needs a cloth that big,' Yusei thought as the cloth covered more of her chest than the dress did. Akiza walked around the sofa and whispered in Yusei's ear.

"When we come back, we're going to have lots of fun together," she whispered and it made Yusei both gulp again and turn a little red.

Akiza then gave Yusei a big hug and kiss. Yusei managed to break out of his fantasy zone and return all that affection right back to her. "Well...should we go?" Akiza asked and Yusei nodded. They grabbed each other's hands, even before Akiza grabbed her keys and a small purse. When Akiza locked the door, they were all smiles as they headed for the restaurant.

When they got there, they were quickly seated, and found themselves looking at their menus. "Yusei, can I ask you something?" Akiza asked. Yusei looked up. "Yeah sure," he replied. "Um..." Akiza said as she continued hiding her face from the menu, "Would it be okay if I got something garlicky?" Yusei smiled. "Of course Akiza. Get whatever you want." Akiza removed the menu from her face. "Great!" she replied, but Yusei wondered why she asked.

Later, both were eating their food, which was very delicious. "So Yusei, would it be all right if we do something after this?" Yusei immediately stopped eating, as his mind went to something not appropriate for TV. "Sure. What is it?" Akiza looked down. "Well...there's this movie I really want to see and I was wondering if you wanted to go see it with me." Yusei smiled. "Of course Akiza. I would love to." Akiza was baffled.

"But you don't even know what it is," she reminded him. Yusei just shrugged his shoulders. "So, I get to spend time with you!" he replied, "So that's good enough for me." Akiza smiled and they quickly went back to eating the rest of their food. When they were done, Akiza got her wallet out of her purse. "At least let me pay for the tip," Yusei suggested, but Akiza would have none of it. She paid for everything in full and Yusei sighed as Akiza smiled when she handed over the right amount. When they got up to leave, Yusei decided to be a bit more aggressive, as he instead wrapped his thin arm around Akiza's arm. "I thought this might be different from our usual holding hands," he noted and Akiza smiled. "It sounds good to me," she replied. They walked outside and Yusei was curious as to what movie theater Akiza wanted to go to. "Lets go to the one on Scott Street," she suggested, "It's a bit farther, but the seats are more comfortable." Yusei grinned as they walked. "That's okay," he replied, "More walking means more exercise." He leaned in close. "And more time with you." Akiza laughed and it wasn't long until they got to the movie theater. Akiza picked a movie that was set to go in about twenty minutes. They waited in line until they got to the front and at the ticket window.

"Two tickets," Akiza said happily and slid the right amount across the table. Yusei frowned as the tickets were handed back to them. Akiza then took his hand and then pulled him towards the door. Yusei sighed as, one day, he wanted to get something for Akiza with his own money. They went inside and the couple stopped at the snack bar. "Do you want some popcorn or something?" Akiza asked. Yusei shook his head, but Akiza wasn't buying it. "Come on Yusei. I've seen you eat an entire bag of it when you popped it at home. Come on." She pulled him closer. "There's even the flavored salts you like." Yusei smiled and Akiza did too. "See? I knew you wanted it."

After Akiza ordered a bag, Yusei quickly got his hand in there. Akiza could only laugh. "Yusei. Save some for the movie!" Yusei stopped stuffing his face full of popcorn. "Sorry," he muffled through the corn. Akiza took his hand and they headed for the right theater. After getting into their seats, the promos and commercials started. Yusei sighed as Akiza took some of the popcorn. 'What if our hands get stuck in the popcorn, like in the movies?' Yusei wondered, 'Should I hold her hand while we're watching?' Yusei looked over and saw Akiza's hand on the arm rest. He gently leaned forward and put his had on top of her's. Akiza looked over and Yusei tried to smile at her. Akiza responded back by smiling and turning her hand, so that they could interlock fingers. They both then focused and turned their attention to the screen.

As they watched, Akiza soon leaned on Yusei's shoulder and sighed. The movie was to both Yusei and Akiza's liking: no westerns, almost no violence, and no scary stuff. Still, as Yusei and Akiza laughed at a hilarious scene, Yusei didn't like having to keep his hand on the arm rest. Yusei let go of Akiza's hand and she luckily did the same. Yusei the picked his arm up and put it around Akiza, as he leaned in as well. Akiza smiled and the two rested their heads on each other's until the movie ended.

As they walked out, the two of them finished the last bit of popcorn, before putting it away. As they walked out and talked about the movie's great performance, they slowly headed towards Akiza's house. As they repeated some of the best lines, they each got laughs, and they both shared a kiss once they were finished. When they got to Akiza's, the lights outside the houses were lit up. Akiza helped Yusei inside and they went inside Akiza's home.

Once inside, Akiza asked what Yusei wanted to do. "I dunno," he replied, "Maybe we could just hang around and see what's on TV?" Akiza agreed that it sounded like a good idea and they both went into the living room, where everything was set up. "Do you need anything to drink at all?" Akiza asked as she watched Yusei lay down on the inflatable bedding. "No. I...I'm all right." Akiza frowned. "You sure?" Yusei looked over at her. "Yeah. Don't worry Akiza. Now come on." He patted the bedding. "What'd be good to watch?"

Akiza slowly sat down next to him and Yusei started flipping through channels. Once they stopped on a show, Akiza realized that Yusei and herself hadn't really watched much TV together before. She watched the show with him and they both enjoyed it. However, Akiza was curious if everything was all right with Yusei. "Do you need anything?" she asked as the credits rolled. Yusei stopped laughing. "Nope," he replied and leaned over to give her a kiss, "Everything's fine." Akiza managed a small smile and they continued watching.

About an hour later, it was almost midnight. "Well..." Yusei said as he yawned loudly, "I guess we should go to bed." Akiza watched as he went over to his bag. He then took out his pajamas and started taking his clothes off. As Yusei pulled down his pants, he just started to notice Akiza watching him. "Is something wrong?" he asked. Akiza shook her head. "No. It's just that I've never watched you take your clothes off before." Yusei chuckled as he stepped out his pants. "Well...you did see me in my boxers that one time," he noted, reminding himself that Akiza found him extremely attractive.

"Yeah, but...it's still something new for me." Yusei nodded and quickly put his pants and bedtime shirt on. Akiza then decided that maybe she should do the same. "I guess I'd better put my pajamas on too," she replied and went upstairs. Yusei smiled as he sat down on his sleeping bag. A couple minutes later, Akiza came out in her pajamas. She had pink pants and a pink shirt, that had a lot of trouble containing her bosom inside. Yusei gulped as she had also managed to get two glasses of water for them on a tray, as he didn't think they were both for herself.

"Akiza, you didn't have to get that," he replied, as she set down the tray next to them, "Let alone the tray." Akiza frowned. "Why? Did you not want them?" she asked. Yusei looked at them and he could have sworn his mouth got drier. "Well...it's just that you don't have to do all this for me. I mean you bought dinner, you pad for the tip, you bought the movie tickets, you got me popcorn, you set all this bedding and stuff up for me. I mean, you've already done so much for me." Akiza looked down as she sat down. "Well...I just..." Yusei instantly worried he said the wrong thing.

"I...just want you to be happy. After all, we've never had both a date and a movie and a sleepover on the same night before." Yusei frowned. "I...just wanted to make everything perfect." Yusei came over to her. "Akiza," he said softly, "Everything you did you did for me and I'm grateful for you." Akiza looked up at him as he put his arms around her. "Look, Akiza, I didn't mean it in a mean way. I just don't want you getting yourself all stressed out over me. Heck, we could have just stayed her all night and I would still be happy." Akiza was confused.

"Why is that?" she asked. Yusei paused and instantly smiled. "Because I enjoy spending time with just you," he replied. He smiled gently at her. "Because...I love you." Akiza gasped. Yusei has never said that to her. Ever. It had been about loving just her. Not about loving to see or do something, but that he firmly loved her. Akiza felt as though the wind had been knocked out her sails and she lost all train of thought. All she thought about were those three words. It meant so much to hear them and it felt even better that it came from him. He could say that to any woman in the world, but he said it to her. Akiza knew that Yusei wouldn't be faking it and he knew that he meant that with all his heart.

Akiza suddenly realized that she had to quickly answer back. "I love you too," she confessed. Yusei felt himself almost lose his breath. He wasn't prepared for her to say that she loved him back. After all, Yusei knew he was an average guy, that just happened to be a Signer, and help save the world with his friends by his side. Yet, to have the one, that he cared about more than anyone else and the one that he had deeper feelings for than just friendship, tell him that she loved him, felt incredibly exuberating. Yusei put a hand to his chest and smiled. Like Akiza, he stared deep into her eyes and knew that she meant that with all her heart.

Yusei closed his eyes as he leaned forward. Akiza did too and they shared a deep kiss. When they were done, they leaned back and looked deep into each other's eyes once more. "I love you Yusei," Akiza said as she buried her head into his neck and upper chest. "I love you too Akiza," Yusei said as they sat there and enjoyed each other's love and warmth. "Well...we'd better get to sleep," Yusei said as they heard Akiza's grandfather clock chime. Akiza yawned. "All right," she replied, "Lets go brush our teeth." Yusei and Akiza headed for separate bathroom. "Hey Yusei," Akiza said as Yusei came to a full stop, "Can we brush our teeth in the same bathroom." Yusei smiled. "I was hoping we'd do that." Akiza giggled and they took each other's hand as they went upstairs.

After brushing their teeth, they both went downstairs, turned off the lights, and crawled into their sleeping bags. "Hey Yusei," Akiza said as she looked over at him. Yusei looked at her. "What is it Akiza?"

"Sweet dreams." Yusei smiled. "Sweet dreams to you Akiza," Yusei replied and they both slid a sleep mask over their eyes and went to sleep.

**A/N: Next time: Yami and Jaden tell Yusei when they can finally leave and it's not as soon as he expected.**

**Thanks for your support!**


	16. Graduating Grind

**Chapter 16!**

**Guest: Glad you're enjoying it and thanks for enjoying my writing! I'm glad and hope to hear more from you in the future!**

**Eunice Pacheco: Not necessarily. Just wait until the end of the Chapter to learn more. **

** 4firekin: Glad you liked it. I'll be sure to do that soon.**

**Bentstua: Sorry I missed you! I know that Yusei was worried, but once he got in the moment, it all came so naturally. I could have made a sexy moment between Yusei and Akiza, but I decided to hold back for once. Glad you enjoyed the Chapter though!**

**Enki-chan: Glad you were able to find humor in it! :) **

**A/N: I apologize for the long wait. I had two tests and I got sick. Still, I managed to get this Chapter our and I apologize for the long wait.**

**I hope you enjoy it!**

The next morning, Akiza woke up, and saw Yusei still sleeping. She smiled as she watched him snoring softly and looking like he was in a deep sleep. She got up and went over to look at his sleeping face. She smiling as Yusei continued to snore and she leaned over to gently brush his hair. She was surprised that she was able to brush it, without waking him up. She gently moved it back and forth, giggling as she could see where Yusei's hair did start growing. To be honest, he looked to be almost half bald when she pushed all of his hair up. After a few minutes of brushing his hair with her dominate right hand, Akiza got up, and decided to get dressed.

When Akiza came downstairs, Yusei was slowly getting up. "Hey sleepy head! You want some breakfast?" Yusei looked up at her and nodded slowly. "I'll get started on it then," she replied and headed for the kitchen. Yusei got up and put his regular clothes on. He then went to the bathroom and started to shave. "Man, it sure was nice to have a quiet night to sleep in," Yusei said after he washed the remaining shaving cream away, "No Jack and Crow to bother me here." Yusei decided to go to the kitchen and see if Akiza needed any help. When he got there, she appeared to have everything under control. Yusei went to the kitchen table and adjusted some of the silverware that was set out. He then went over to the love of his life.

"Hey Akiza! Do you need any help?" Akiza shook her head. "Nope Yusei, so why don't you sit back down and relax?" Yusei did as he was told and saw back at the kitchen table. He sighed as he watched Akiza preparing the whole meal for him. He didn't want Akiza to be forced to do this, but she really wanted too. So, he just stayed quiet as she finished cutting and cooking some eggs. After she was done cooking, she brought the pan and rest of the food over to him. After saying grace, they both dug in. "Mmmph. This is really good," Yusei commented. Akiza smiled.

"Really? I'm glad!" Yusei smiled and kept eating. "You're not just saying that, because I made it are you?" Akiza asked. Yusei shook his head. "No way! Akiza, don't worry!" He reached over and took her by the hand. "If it was bad," Akiza replied, "What would you say then?" Yusei was worried about her question. "I'd...uh..." he stumbled, "I'd tell you the truth." Akiza looked down. "Oh," she replied, now upset that she asked. Still, she knew Yusei wouldn't lie to her. Yusei let go and decided that it was best to change the subject.

"You're going to graduate in a couple weeks, aren't you?" Yusei asked. Akiza smiled and they continued talking about it. "Yes. They'll have the graduation ceremony in the gymnasium." Akiza looked up as she ate some of her food. "I get three tickets. My parents are going to be there and..." She swallowed both out of nerves and to get Yusei's attention. "Would you want to be there as the third one?" Yusei's face brightened. "Of course Akiza! I'd be more than happy to come." Akiza looked kindly at him. "Thank you Yusei. It really means a lot to have you there." Yusei nodded.

"Of course Akiza. There's nothing I'd rather do than spend time with you and see you get rewarded for all your hard work." Akiza blushed. "I love you Yusei." Yusei stopped eating for a moment, before focusing on his girlfriend. "I love you too Akiza." They both smiled and then continued their breakfast rather quietly, until they were both finished. "That was great," Yusei replied as he got up. He gave Akiza a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for breakfast Akiza." Akiza giggled and grabbed her silverware. "Now for the best part," Akiza noted and Yusei looked confused at her, "Washing the dishes." Yusei laughed and they got started.

When they were done, Yusei and Akiza went back to the living room and started cleaning up. "Thanks for everything Akiza. I slept really well." Akiza continued picking up. "You welcome Yusei. I'm glad things worked out for you." She undid the air mattress and it slowly deflated. "Geez Akiza! I didn't know you had that much gas in you," Yusei commented. Akiza rolled her eyes at the obvious joke.

"Ha ha. Very funny," she replied, "Of course I'm not as bad as when you guys go through a can of baked beans. You might as well say that you're living in fart city." Yusei laughed. "Yeah, but we have fun," he answered back. He then headed for the stairs. "I'm going to go get my stuff from the bathroom and get cleaned up." Akiza nodded and Yusei raced up the stairs. As Akiza finished undoing all the sleeping area, she sighed, as her time with Yusei was just about over. She put the stuff neatly in a corner and waited for Yusei by the steps. Once Yusei came down, they faced each other.

"Thanks Yusei for staying with me. It was...really really fun." Yusei smiled at her. "Of course Akiza! It was not a problem." He set his bag down and gave her a big hug. "Besides, I like I've said before Akiza. I enjoy spending time with you." Akiza smiled and put her arms around him. "Would you ever want to do this thing again?" she asked. "The hug?" Yusei asked. Akiza laughed. "Well...that too, but I was referring to the sleepover." Yusei grinned. "Of course! I'd love to." They shared a kiss. "I love you Yusei." Yusei was enjoying the saying just as much as Akiza was. "I love you too," Akiza. They shared one more kiss and Yusei got his arms away from Akiza, as she did the same. Yusei then picked up his bag.

"I'll see you later okay?" Akiza nodded. "Yep. See you later!" They both waved and Yusei went out the front door.

When Yusei got back, all the guys came around him, wanting to hear about his night alone with Akiza. "It was amazing," Yusei replied as he set his bag down. He cupped his hands and smiled. "It was so cool getting to talk with her and be with her all alone." He turned around and faced the other guys. "Without you guys there to distract us." Crow and Jack smiled, as they knew their constant fighting sometimes broke up their time together.

"Yeah. but we've helped you out," Jaden replied, "So did you tell her?" Jack and Crow stared at him. "Tell her what?" Jack asked. "That I love her," Yusei replied. Jack and Crow looked confused. "You haven't told her that?" Crow asked. "Well now I have," Yusei replied and he looked up at the ceiling, "And it was amazing!" Jack and Crow smiled sneakily. "So, did you do you her?" Crow asked and Yusei turned around to them. "No!" he replied firmly. He quickly went back to looking like he was in a dream.

"But we did kiss and hug and stare into each other eyes!" He wiggled in place. "Oh my god! It was such a fun night!" Jack rolled his eyes. "Oh stuff it Yusei! You sound like a woman!" Yusei frowned. "Hey! I had a great time with the woman I love and I don't care what you say! So screw you Jack!" Yusei went upstairs, to get away from all of them, and relive his wonderful night with Akiza.

A few days later, Akiza came over after school, and everyone listened to the constant, "I love yous," coming from Yusei and Akiza. Leo and Luna didn't mind it, but it sure annoyed Jack. "That's it! I'm going to Carly's!" Jack declared in front of everyone. Yusei looked up from Akiza's brown eyes. "Oh! So you can go tell her that you love her too?" Yusei asked. Jack froze. "No...I'll just say that she's cool." Akiza rolled her eyes. "Pfffhhh! Say that when you find yourselves both in bed." Everyone laughed as Jack went outside.

Later, Akiza and Yusei were saying goodbye to one another and the twins watched from up close. "Love you Yusei," Akiza replied as she gave him a kiss. Leo turned to Luna. "When are you and Dexter going to be this affectionate?" Leo asked. Luna shrugged, "When we feel good and ready," she replied, "Besides, I would never want to make Dexter uncomfortable. Plus, if Yusei and Akiza taught us anything, it's that slow and steady relationships can work out really well." Once Yusei and Akiza were done smooching, the twins and Akiza headed out.

As the end of May was coming, Yami and Jaden swapped 3rd place and wins like the weeks before. With early June upcoming, Yusei found Akiza on her computer a lot when she came over. Yusei tried to give her space, but he wanted so badly to sit next to her and be his, what was becoming normal for him, affectionate, loving self. However, every time he came over to give her that affection, Akiza would quickly close out of whatever it was she was doing. "Where you looking at pictures of me?" Yusei questioned slyly. Akiza rolled her eyes.

"Did it look like I was doing that?" she replied, "And besides, you're sitting right here! If I wanted to fantasize about you, I could easily look at you while doing it." Yusei smiled and took off his blue jacket, showing off his build. "Do you wanna fantasize about me right now?" he questioned smoothly. Akiza shook her head and went back to her computer. Yusei put his jacket on and sighed. "So what are you doing that's so interesting?" he asked, "You seemed to be typing up a storm!" Akiza shrugged. "Just some school stuff." Yusei frowned. "Anything I can help you with? I did get a high school level education you know?" Akiza nodded. "I know, but it's all right Yusei. I'll be okay." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "You're so sweet." Yusei smiled and let Akiza get back to her work.

Later, Akiza had gone and Yusei realized that Akiza barely talked to him at all. Why was she so quiet? Yusei offered a drink or something to eat, but Akiza simply brushed it off and said, "no." He sat down on a folding chair and thought about what was going on. Yami and Jaden came over to him. "Deep in thought huh?" Yami asked as Yusei looked up at them. "Oh. Hi guys. I didn't see you there." Jaden frowned. "What's gotten you in such a pickle?" he asked. Yusei sighed.

"Akiza barely talked to me today. I think something's wrong. All she did was spend time on her computer." Yami nodded. "Yeah. I noticed that. Did you say anything to her?" Yusei nodded back. "Yeah, but she said it was just some school stuff and that it was no big deal." Jaden smiled. "Well...it is near finals week, so I'm sure she might have a lot of homework to do." Yusei agreed. "Yeah. but Akiza's always had homework, but she's held it off until after she comes over here to see me."

"Maybe she's got a lot to do," Yami noted. "But if that was true, wouldn't she just skip coming over here? I mean...it makes more sense." Yami didn't know how to answer to Yusei's negativity. "Just..." He sighed. "Just let it go and maybe it's just a one day thing." Yusei closed his eyes. "Okay. I'll let go." They guys smiled and left him by himself. 'I just wish I could know if something weird is going on,' Yusei thought.

The next day, Akiza didn't come over, and Yusei was a bit saddened and worried. Crow watched him as he stared at the door. "Come on Yusei. Akiza's missed days before. Why is this one so much more important?" Yusei closed his eyes. "Because Akiza was never that un-affectionate with me since we stated dating." Jack scoffed. "She's never been that un-affectionate with me," he mocked, "Arrg! Just let it got Yusei. You're getting antsy and overanxious with this whole thing. You're over analyzing this whole situation." Yusei continued looking outside, trying to drown out Jack's good point.

When Akiza returned the following day, Yusei instantly tried to jump start the conversation. He had written down a bunch of questions for them to talk about and Akiza did talk and answer some of them. Yusei was a bit disheartened when Akiza pulled out her computer and asked him if she would let her work in peace. Yusei let her go and didn't want to start a fight in front of everyone. Yusei watched as Akiza looked up and down on her computer many times. He tried to figure out what was going on, but he could never get his finger on the ball.

As Yusei was cleaning up the garage the following day, Leo and Luna came over. They were both very excited. "Hey guys!" Yusei replied, "What's got you two so excited?" Leo smiled. "It's only a week until school's out!" Leo cried. Yusei nodded. "Oh yeah. That's right," he replied and looked at the calender. Luna smiled and then started digging into her backpack. "Oh yeah. Akiza was busy, so she went home, but she wanted me to give you this." Yusei looked at it and it was a ticket for the graduation ceremony. "Okay. Tell her thanks and that I got it."

"Should I add a I love you to it?" Luna asked and they all laughed.

Finally, it was Friday and Yusei knew that Akiza had to come over now. When she did, Yusei was delighted to see that she had already changed into her normal attire and her backpack was gone. "Hey Yusei!" she cried and the two hugged each other. When they went downstairs, Yusei decided to take note of her school stuff absence, and maybe see if she could spill the beans on what she was doing. "Yeah. I got done with my school stuff, so I can now have the weekend to relax." Yusei smiled. "That sounds wonderful," he replied and kissed her cheek.

'Maybe I was just freaking out over nothing,' Yusei thought.

As they all sat down and the twins talked about the end of school, Akiza said that she was excited to get her graduation stuff. Yusei reminded her that he was going to be attending the ceremony. "So why can't we come?" Leo asked. "You can," Akiza replied, "You can watch it online." Luna smiled. "That's right! Aren't..." She quickly covered her mouth. "Aren't what?" Jaden asked. "Aren't we going to get to see it online?" she asked as she turned to her brother. He nodded. "Right! We're definitely going to see it live online!" Jaden and the other guys thought it was a rather odd statement, but they all ignored it and went along for the ride.

As the three of them were walking home, Luna, Leo, and Akiza, Luna frowned. "I'm sorry I almost spilled the beans," Luna started once they were a good distance from the garage. Akiza smiled. "It's all right," Akiza replied, "Yusei will probably find out before the ceremony even starts." Leo was baffled. "How so?" he asked. "Because he'll see the program," Akiza reminded him, "Once he sees that, then he'll know all about it." Luna nodded.

"Right. I can't believe you've been able to keep it a secret from him for this long. Is it hard?" Akiza shook her head. "Not really," she replied, "Yusei doesn't go to school, so it makes sense that he wouldn't know about it. Besides, I know he'll be happy once he finds out and in fact, I think he'll be going ape on me once the ceremony is over." The twins both smiled and were enjoying this little secret they were keeping from Yusei. Of course, they still had a week to go and it was possible that he could still find out about it.

The weekend went smoothly for Jaden and Yami as Yami picked up yet another win and Jaden took third place. The week swung back around to Monday once again and Akiza had some news for Yusei. "I'm not going to be here the next couple of days." Yusei frowned as he looked at her. "Why not?" he asked. Akiza shrugged. "I just wanted to spend time on some school stuff," Akiza replied, "That's all." Yusei became worried that this was going to be another incident like a few days ago. Umm...all right." Yusei replied, a little uneasy with what she was going to do.

Within a couple days, it was time for the graduation ceremony. Yusei went over to the Izinski's. He wasn't sure how to dress so he brought over a button up shirt and black pants. When the door opened for him, Mr. Izinski and Ms. Izinski smiled at him. "Yusei. You don't have to wear anything fancy," Mr. Izinski commented. Yusei looked down, awkward at his decision. "Oh. I'm sorry," he apologized. Ms. Izinski shook her head. "It's nothing to worry about dear," she replied and turned to the stairs. "Akiza! Are you ready to go?"

Akiza came towards the steps. "Coming mom!" she shouted. Yusei smiled as she got to the steps. "Yusei!" Akiza said as she slowly went down the steps. "Akiza!" he replied and waited for her to go down the long staircase. When she got there, they shared a kiss. "Congratulations," Yusei whispered to her. Akiza giggled. "Thanks," she replied, "Now lets get going." They all agreed and went inside the limo waiting for them. Once they were on the road, Mr. Izinski smiled at Yusei.

"So Yusei, you all ready too..." He quickly stopped himself. Yusei looked at him confused. "Mr. Izinski are you all right?" Mr. Izinski nodded. "Yes. I'm fine," he replied. Yusei didn't understand what happened, but Akiza quickly changed the subject. They soon were at the school and they all got out of the limousine. "Okay. I've got to go check in. You guys can go into the gymnasium." She gave her Mom and Dad a hug, while Yusei got the lone kiss. She waved goodbye to them and they waved back. The three of them soon got inside the gymnasium and sat on the bleachers. As they were all given programs, Yusei looked for her name. Once Yusei found it, he then found the schedule of events.

"Lets see, they go in, principal talks, vice chancellor talks, Akiza talks..." Yusei paused. "Akiza talks?" he asked in shock. Mr. and Ms. Izinski both smiled and nodded. Yusei looked back at the program. "What's she going to talk about?" Yusei looked at it and it said, "My Heroes." Yusei didn't get it. What was she talking about? Her heroes? Yusei sighed and knew he was just going to have to wait and see what that was.

Sure enough, it was about twenty minutes later and the kids started coming in. Yusei and Akiza's parents didn't have much trouble spotting Akiza, as he bust made it pretty clear who she was. They watched as she went to her seat and they all sat down. After the principal and other staff members greeted them, it was finally time for speeches. Yusei listened as some of them talked and soon, it was finally time for Akiza.

Yusei watched as she made her way up to the stage and soon stood in front of the microphone. After thanking certain people, she started,

"First off, I want to begin by apologizing for any hard feelings I have made, due to my past. I apologize to everyone who was injured and for damages I have cause. I'm sorry." After a brief applause, she continued. "My speech is titled, 'My Heros,' and there should be a good reason for it. I have a lot of people who have been a good influence on my life. One of them, however, was not and his name is Sayer. While he did care for me and tried to have powers like mine, he was not a good man at heart. So, even though he did help get me off the streets, I do not consider him my friend and I despise him."

"However, there have been many good influences on my life. One of them is named Yusei Fudo. He showed me love and compassion that Sayer never did. He not only tried to understand my powers, but he also tried to see deeper into my heart. While I can't speak for him, I know that this was a turning point for him. He didn't just see me as another friend, but he saw me as something much more important than that. Once he convinced me to join the Singers, you guys all know the rest. However, he also has done things that you may not know. He helped me learn to become a Turbo Duelist, even though he's taking a break from that. He also has spent a lot of time with me.

Just talking, laughing, and wanting to learn more about me and my family." Akiza looked up at him. "Thank you Yusei. Thank you for helping me and loving me. I love you." Yusei smiled. Akiza may not have been able to see or hear him, but she knew he replied, "I love you too Akiza." Akiza then looked back at her speech. "I would also like to thank my friends Leo and Luna for helping me come back to Duel Academy. They showed me around and helped me get to my classes. Leo may be a bit loud and Luna can be more quiet, but they're both are a lot of fun. Not only did they help me with schoolwork, but they also helped me when it came to life."

"I never had much of a childhood, but being with them makes me feel like a kid again. I get to laugh at silly jokes and just goof off with them. On top of that, their bubbly energy and fun helps me whenever I'm stressed out or taking school way too seriously. They help me smile, which not only makes me happy, but Yusei also happy, as he always tells me that I have the most beautiful smile in the world. So, thank you Leo and Luna."

"And last, but certainly not least, I have to thank my parents. They are the ones who were able to overcome our differences and forgive me for all the bad things I did as the Black Rose Witch. They were able to forgive my mistakes and help us talk and fix our problems. Now, we're a family that can talk to each other about anything or when we're having a problem. At the same time, I understand that we are a family that isn't perfect. I also understand that some people don't have as good of a family life as I do or even a family at all. Still, I encourage all of you, even if it's just for tonight, to put down your anger, and be happy that your son or daughter is graduating from a fantastic school. To be safe and to enjoy life. Thank you."

Yusei smiled as he stood up and applauded. He was so proud that Akiza had the courage to talk in front of all those people. He tried his best to whistle, but it was just a bunch of spit and blowing sounds. He decided to just sit down and be quiet until the time for them to applaud for other speakers. He sat down and waited for them to start calling names. When they did, Yusei's eyes never left her, as he watched her walking up to the podium. When they called her name, Yusei stood up and cheered loudly. Akiza looked up and saw him going crazy. She smiled as she calmly went back to her seat. Still, it was fun to see Yusei going crazy for her.

'I wonder if that means he's that crazy in love with me,' Akiza thought to herself.

When the ceremony was over, Yusei and Akiza's parents stayed at their seats, waiting for Akiza. There were a lot of people, well over a thousand, as it was a big school. Yusei kept looking out for her, not wanting some guy to get a hold of her. Finally, Yusei spotted her, as they stood near the top of the bleachers. "I see her!" he cried as he went down to her. Akiza's parents followed him, running to her like a dog seeing a treat, and they soon got to her as well. "Hey Akiza!" Yusei said as he hugged her tight. Akiza smiled as she handed her diploma to her parents and then hugged him back. They leaned back and shared a big kiss on the lips.

"Thank you Yusei. I hope you liked my speech." Yusei nodded. "Yes. I did! I want you to know that I love you too Akiza, from the bottom of my heart." Akiza hugged him tighter and leaned on his chest. "You're the greatest and strongest person I've ever met. You've overcame so much Akiza," Yusei continued, "I'm so proud of everything you've done Akiza and graduating Duel Academy, is just the start. I can see bigger and better things for you Akiza. This is just the start of a wonderful life for yourself Akiza." Akiza smiled.

"Thanks Yusei. But you got me here. You've always believed and encouraged me whenever you could. On top of that, you've been my best friend in the entire world. I just hope that you see me as a best friend too." Yusei smiled. "Of course I do," he replied, "You have been my best friend for a very long time. I love you Akiza." Akiza smiled. "I love you too."

The Izinski's both smiled, as they had never heard Yusei and Akiza say that to one another. "Wow! You guys said that you love each other." Mr. Izinski noted. Yusei and Akiza looked at one another. "Yeah. So?" Yusei asked, looking confused. Ms. Izinski smiled. "You two love each other!" she cried, "I'm so happy." Yusei smiled as Akiza's parents rushed her with hugs and kisses. Yusei stood aside and thought about how her parents had reacted and how happy they were that they said they love each other.

Akiza went to the all night party and the other three people that attended the ceremony went home. Yusei felt a bit embarrassed as they asked when they started saying that to one another. Yusei admitted that it was during Akiza's sleepover, but he stressed very hard that it was the only romantic thing that happened. Still, Mr. Izinski and the Ms. trusted him. Yusei sat back and smiled. It was good to relax and know that they weren't upset.

When Yusei got home, Yami and Jaden were the only ones up. As Yusei was walking down to them, he thought about how much Akiza and himself loved each other. It made him wonder how long it would be until Jaden and Yami had to stay here. He decided to ask. "Hey guys, how long do you have to stay here? You said until you've completed your goal. What exactly is that?" Jaden and Yami looked at one another and smiled.

"Well Yusei. We've kept it hidden long enough," Jaden replied, "It's about time we tell you." Yusei smiled. "Well., I've told her that I love her, we've gone out on a date, we've kissed, hugged, and even said we're best friends. I mean, how much longer do you guys have to stay here?" Yami smiled. "Come on Yusei. Isn't there something you're forgetting to do?" Yusei looked up at the ceiling. "I dunno. I don't think so. I mean, it could be going all the way, but I know we wouldn't do that until we're married." He then started to laugh.

"Actually Yusei. I'm glad you mentioned that," Yami replied, "Because you need to marry her in order for us to leave."

**A/N: Sorry for the delay! Thanks for your patience!**


	17. Duels to Districts

**Chapter 17!**

**Before I start, I apologize to Bentstua and Enki-chan for forgetting to respond them when I first released the Chapter.**

**Bentstua: I know the joke was bad and it was meant to be taken that way. Glad you liked the graduation idea.**

**Phosphere: I know it was obvious, but I wanted it to be one of those, "The audience knows, but Yusei doesn't," type moves. Sorry if I disappointed you. **

**A/N: I apologize as I had two tests this week again. Luckily, I don't have any next week!**

**Also, a friend contacted me and really really wanted to write duels for my story. After much diliberation, I was able to find a way to put it into the story. The person asked to remain anonymous, as they didn't want to get a lot of heat if they made any mistakes in the duels. I also apologize for any errors in the duel as far as grammar and spelling, as we both did our best to make it as good as possible, in that reguard. Again, we both apologize for any errors or problems in the duels. I thank them for writing the duels!  
**

**I hope you enjoy the duels and Chapter!**

Yusei just stood there stunned. "What...ma...marriage?" he asked stunned. Yami nodded. "That's right. You have to married in order for us to leave." Yusei was both worried and upset. "But...but I can't ask her to marry me just like that!" He tried to snap his fingers, but it wouldn't work. "You get what I mean!" he shouted as Yami and Jaden chuckled. "We know what you mean," Jaden replied, "Still...until you guys are one in holy matrimony, we're not leaving." Yusei watched as they went upstairs, thinking about what they told him.

As Yusei went to bed, he was still deep in thought about what Yami and Jaden said. "In order for them to leave, I have to marry Akiza." Yusei sighed. That was easier said than done. He could have proposed to her, but he knew this wouldn't be the right time. Akiza was going to school and he couldn't wreck her first semester. Yusei wanted to help Akiza with her schooling, not hurt her. Even if he only had a high school level education, he could still do everything he can to make life easier for her.

Still, Yusei would love to be her husband. He already enjoyed spending time with her. Yet, if he could go to sleep and wake up with her, even once, it would be the greatest feeling in the world. To let Akiza know that he loved her forever and for always. To love her and be with her for all eternity would be the most joyful and happy feeling a person could ever feel. Yusei felt very blessed to have her in his life. But he would feel even more blessed if he could have her as his wife.

Yusei sighed as he rolled onto his side. Would he make a good husband though? Sure, Yusei could be sweet and affectionate with Akiza. But how good would they be living together? Would they get into a lot of fights or hardly any at all? Yusei knew that there could be a combination of both. Still, he didn't like it when Akiza got angry, and not just because of her powers. After everything that she's had to deal with, everything she's been through, he was the first person to not see her as a monster. So, he should treat her differently than other people. Dating her obviously brings that up, but being married to her would be so much different too. Yusei thought about that night he stayed over at her house.

He remembered how great it was to eat breakfast with her, wake up to the sound of her voice, and getting up with her. Yusei stopped thinking. "Wait! If we got married, I would have to sleep with her!" Yusei said quietly to himself. Sleeping with her! Yusei suddenly thought to himself about the thought of having someone else in bed with him. He imagined:

_Yusei Imagines_

Yusei was in a large bed and he could hear someone snoring. He turned his head and was immediately met with Akiza's face. It was clear that she was asleep and her mouth was wide open, with a loud snore coming out of it. Yusei quickly turned over and tried to get to sleep. He then heard something coming from Akiza, almost like a mumble. "Akiza! Are you all right?" he asked as he turned over to check on her. He was suddenly hit by Akiza's flying hand. "Ow!" he said and looked down at the pillow.

"Eww! Drool!" he muttered and quickly turned away.

"Mmmpjh. Yusei," Akiza said in an actual voice. Yusei wasn't falling for this again. "Akiza, are you awake?" Yusei asked, unsure if it really was her. "Yes. Yusei, can I ask you a question?" Yusei smiled. "Of course Akiza!" He flipped over and suddenly felt something soft. Instead of turning around to see her face, Yusei was met with her chest. "Can't...breath!" Yusei tried to say. Outside of her chest, Akiza couldn't hear a thing. "What Yusei?" she asked, "I couldn't hear you." Yusei quickly leaned back. "Akiza!" he said nervously and quickly, "I'm so sorry!"

"Sorry? What are you talking about?" Akiza asked. Yusei didn't get it. "What do you mean? I just slammed my face into your chest!" Yusei said nervously, "Not that...I enjoyed it or anything." Akiza giggled and then started to laugh. "What's so funny?" Yusei questioned. Akiza smiled. "Yusei! You're my husband!" Akiza reminded him, "It doesn't bother me that you did that anymore." Yusei was lost. "It doesn't?" Yusei asked. "No," Akiza replied, "In fact..." She giggled slyly.

"What?" Yusei asked. Akiza smiled. "Last time I got intimate with you, you loved putting your face in my chest. In fact, you commented that just one of my breasts was bigger as your entire face or mine!" Yusei became redder than Akiza's clothes. "I...I..." Yusei shuddered. He had totally forgotten about being that intimate with Akiza. On top of that, he didn't understand how it felt for her.

"Akiza, did my face in your chest hurt at all? Was it painful?" Akiza shook her head. "No Yusei. It didn't hurt at all. Now come here and do what you enjoy!" Akiza leaned forward and Yusei screamed as her breasts and his face got closer and closer. Yusei didn't feel good about doing this, since he had never done it before. On top of that, he worried that Akiza was only doing this to make him happy. Not herself happy. Just as her chest and his face were about to touch, a white light appeared.

_Yusei stops imagining_

Yusei quickly opened his eyes and looked down. He had been doing it again. He sighed as he went to the bathroom and cleaned up. He sighed as he climbed back into bed. Akiza was so lucky and happy to be with him. So, he should treat her like the diamond she is. Still, Yusei wanted Akiza to be happy and that included when she became his wife.

The next day, Yusei sighed as he stirred his usual bowl of oatmeal. The thought of having to marry Akiza was still on his mind. As Yami and Jaden sat down, Yusei decided that maybe he should ask them about their goal and if they could change it. "You guys..." he started and looked around so that Jack and/or Crow didn't pop in out of no where, "Is there anyway you can change your mission at all?" Jaden looked at Yami, who shook his head. "Sorry Yusei. That was my goal from the start. After all, you two love each other very much, so why not make it official with a wedding?" Yusei sighed.

"But what if you have to be here for 5 years? Ten even?" Jaden shrugged. "So what? As long as you and Akiza become one, it doesn't matter to us how long it takes. All we want is for you to be happy, just like all your other friends want you to be." Yusei smiled. "Thanks guys. That means a lot." Yami nodded. "Right. Just be sure to show Akiza that you love her even more than all of your other friends combined. That way, you'll truly show that she loves you with all her heart and it could show you when the right time is to propose." Yusei nodded. He was starting to feel more confident about this.

When Akiza came over, Yusei instantly greeted her with a hug. Akiza could only laugh and smile. "Thank you Yusei." They shared a brief kiss. "I'm so happy to see you again," Yusei replied, "How have you been enjoying your Summer?" Akiza shrugged. "A little bit of time with the family was fun, but.." She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Spending time with you is the best time." Yusei laughed and put his arms around her. "The same goes for me being with you," he whispered in her ear.

As they went to their seats, Akiza spotted the gold medals and bronze medals from Yami and Jaden's duels. Akiza looked over at them and asked them a question. "Hey guys, you've each won four tournaments. Will you guys be good enough to go to the districts yet?" Yami shrugged. "When we get there, we get there," Yami replied as he looked over at Yusei, "Besides, there's no rush." Yusei frowned as he knew that he was referring to him and his refusal to ask Akiza to marry him yet. Still, like Yusei had decided earlier, he had to wait for the right time to ask.

Over the next couple of weeks, Yusei remained quiet as Jaden and Yami each got a victory, bringing their totals to five a piece. After Jaden won the second one, the owner of the shop called a number up. "Yes, Kyle?" he asked, "I need your help with something."

As the two weeks went by, Yusei found himself with even more time with Akiza. Crow got a part time job, which also helped with Jaden and Yami's winnings. Still, that left Yusei to a lot of time by himself with Yami and Jaden, as Jack spent a lot of time at Cafe la Green. Yusei sighed as he still wasn't getting over the thought of Akiza and him getting engaged. He wanted it so badly, but at the same time, he didn't want to hurt her.

Akiza invited just Yusei over to play video games with her on the following Friday. Yusei actually enjoyed playing with her. "I'll invite the twins next time," Akiza noted and Yusei smiled. It would have been nice to just have Akiza and him, but having them and possibly even Dexter over would be great. Yusei didn't want to stay over, but he gave her a kiss before he left. "I'll be sure to stay over next time," he replied, implying about Akiza's suggestion.

When Yami and Jaden went for their usual matches, there were a few people that were looking at them oddly. "I know we've made some noise here, but why are they staring at us?" Jaden asked. When they got to the front, there was no bracket up and the usual suspects were not there. Instead, they were all looking around at a guy at the front desk. "Hey! I know that guy!" Jack noted. "Me too!" Leo replied.

The man was almost as tall as Jack. He smiled as he turned to face the group. "Hey! You must be Yami and Jaden. I've heard about you two." He looked up. "Oh. It's Yusei and the Signers as well." Unlike most duelists, the man went up to all of them, and shook their hands. Yusei put his arm around Akiza and they all introduced themselves. "And my name's Kyle Whalen," he replied, "I'm a professional duelist that came from New Domino City. In fact, I made it to the pros in the same way you guys are right now."

"Really?" Jaden asked and Kyle nodded. "The owner's told me you guys have been dominating the tournaments here. So much, in fact, that he offered me a spot to come here. If you guys win, you'll automatically qualify for districts, without having to duel again here. If you lose, then you'll have to stay here until the last weeks." Yami was confused. "Is this legal?"

"Oh it's legal," the shop owner replied, "You two have shown such great talent with a deck, that if you win here, Kyle's signature will help you guys automatically advance to the next level. There will be no tournament today. So, do you guys think that you're up for the challenge?" Jaden and Yami looked at one another. "Oh yeah. We're always ready," Jaden replied as they both smiled. "Okay then, whose up first?" Kyle asked. Yami raised his hand. "I am," he replied.

They two of them stood in the normal spot where the final matches were. They put on their duel disks and activated them. Yami may have never dealt with a real professional before, but he knew that he had defeated just as good of duelists before. He smiled as he was about to start the match.

4000 / 4000

"LETS DUEL!" They both shouted in union. "I start this off by summoning Chainsaw Insect in Attack Mode!" A cockroach with two ginormous chainsaws as teeth appeared and let out a loud clicking noise "2400 attackpoints?! How can this monster only be Level 4? It must have some weakness..." Yami mumbled quietly to himself.

"Wow! That's card's super powerful!" Leo cried. "It's got 2400 attack points!" Luna then made an observation. "But his Chainsaw Insect has a negative special effect! So if he attacks Yami, it won't do any good." "Not to mention he's also got two facedown cards on the field," Akiza noted and Yusei nodded. "Right. So, it might be best for both to hold back a bit."

"I set 2 cards facedown. Now its your turn." "Alright then. I draw!" Yami responded in a serious tone. "I cant do much this turn... Dang it.. I just need one more card" Yami said in his mind. "I play Royal Knight in Defense Mode!"

A white, robot-looking Knight with a glowing blade appeared and then knees down with his arms crossed and his angel-like wings settling down. "I play 2 more cards face down and then end my turn." Yami said with a serious look on his face. "My turn!" Kyle shouted out with a noticeable grin on his face. "Now, go Chainsaw Insect! Shredder his Monster into oblivion!" The chainsaws in front of the insects head started and it took a big leap in the direction of Yami's Monster. "Now I play my facedown! Skull Invitation!" "W-What does this card do?!" Yami responded nervously. Kyle started giggling. "You see, when a card is sent to the graveyard, Skull Invitation inflicts 300 points of damage to the owner." Suddenly it hit Yami like a punch in his face "I see where hes trying to go with that tactic..." Yami thought while the blast of his enemy's trapcard hit him.

3700 / 4000

"Now, since my Chainsaw Insect attacked, it allows you to draw one card." Yami's face turned a bit more confident than before. "So this is its weakness! I see," Yami thinks while drawing a card. "Its my turn!" Yami said while drawing. "Finally..." Yami mumbled to himself. "First I play my facedown! Call of the Haunted!" The look Kyle's face suddenly turned from confident into worried. "This card allows me to special summon one Monster from my graveyard. And I choose my Royal Knight! Welcome back, buddy!" The white swordwealing Angel upheaval out of the ground and spread his wings. "Now I summon Night's End Sorcerer in Attack Mode!"

"And with the help of him.." Suddenly Night's End Sorcerer vanished into light and formed 2 golden rings around Royal Knight "I can synchro summon my Explosive Magician!" A big beam of light appeared from the ground and out of it, a tall Magician with a white and golden robe appeared and spheres of energy formed around him. "Don't forget, you get 300 damage for each card of your cards that is send to the graveyard. That makes 600 damage."

3100 / 4000

"Now I play my facedown card! Pitch-Black Power Stone! This card allows me to place 3 Spell-Counters on it."

"What is he trying to do with that?" Kyle mumbled quietly "Now I use the effect of my Explosive Magician! By removing 2 Spell-Counters from my field, I can destroy one of your Trap Cards! Go Explosive Magician, destroy Skull Invitation!" The tall Magician send one of the energy-spheres towards the Trap Card "Now I play my facedown card! Imperial Custom! Now i can select one Continous Spell or Trap Card on my field and it wont be destroyed as long as Imperial Custom remains on the field!" The sphere of energy got deducted away from the Trap Card and vanished.

"Well, then now Explosive Magician, attack his Chainsaw Insect! Go!" Yami's Magician took a big jump into the air, formed a big ball of pure light and send it towards the enemy's monster. The monster shattered in a big and bright explosion.

3100 / 3900

"Now, since a card you own was sent to the graveyard, you get 300 points of damage to your Life Points!" "You're right." Kyle responded while the blast of his own Trap Card hit him.

3100 / 3600

"I play one more card facedown and end my turn." Yami said with a confident smile in his face. "My turn! I draw!" The look on Kyle's face suddenly brightened up again. "First, i use the effect of my Solar Wind Jammer. If i control no monsters, I can special summon it from my hand." A big, pirate-ship looking creature emerged from the ground. "Only 400 attackpoints? What is he trying to do with that..?" Yami curiously thought. "Now I tribute my Solar Wind Jammer to summon Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch in Attack Mode!" A tall humanoid with armor covering his body formed out of sparks in the air and lets flames burst out of his hands. "If he is tribute summoned, I can discard one random card from your hand!" One of Yami's cards suddenly burned away and re-appeared in his graveyard. "Now, since one of your cards was sent to the graveyard, you get 300 points of damage! But since one of my cards was send away for the tribute summon, I receive the same damage."

2800 / 3300

"Now I play my equip card, Lucky Axe! The monster equipped with it gains 500 attack points!" "That's not looking so good.." Luna notes. "Go Thestalos, attack his Explosive Magician!" The monarch directed his palm at Yami's monster and send a big stream of Fire towards it. "I play my facedown, Waboku!" "What?!" Kyle responded surprised. "Waboku protects my monsters from being destroyed this turn! And the battle damage i would receive is made 0!" A wall of light appeared in front of Yami's monster and absorbed the burst of fire send towards it. "Yeah! There we go!" Leo cried. "But Yami still gets 300 points of damage, due to his Waboku being send to the grave," Yusei responded to Leo's enthusiastic crying.

2500 / 3300

"Dang it, I gotta finish this quickly or I will eventually take myself down due to his Skull Invitation..." Yami thought. "My turn! I play the Spell Card Nightmare's Steel cage! Now, for two more turns, your monsters can't attack." "Looks like he finally figured out my tactic...Ill have to end this as soon as this Steelcage is gone." Kyle thought. "I set one more card facedown and then end my turn." Yami said and his opponent drew a card. "I end my turn." He said, right after drawing his card. "Looks like they both can't do much right now." Akiza noted and Yusei nods. "Yes. It will most likely come down to the one who gets out a good card an instant quicker."

"I draw." Yami said with a more serious tone than usual. "I set one card facedown. It's your turn now." Kyle drew a card, and just like last turn, he ended his turn right after. "I draw!" Yami shouted out. "It's now or never..." Yami thought while looking at the card he drew. "Yes! Finally!" Yami thought and his facial expression changed drastically. "I first play my Trap Card. Reckless Greed. It allows me to draw two cards. Now I normal summon my Magical Exemplar!" A female Magician with a green robe and a golden Headband appeared. "Now I play my Spell Card One for One!"

"Yusei, isn't that your card?" Akiza asked puzzled. "Yes it is. I put it in for you guys, as a symbol of your love." Yami responded as he turned to them. Akiza started blushing and so did Yusei. Back at the duel, Yami's opponent already started sweating. He knew Yami was up to no good. "Now, by sending one card to the graveyard, I can summon a Level 1 monster from my deck. And I summon Sunny Pixie!"

"W-wait, Luna? Isn't Sunny Pixie your card?" Dexter asked nervously. "You're right, Dexter," Yami replied, "I put it in for the same reason as with Yusei's card. As a symbol of love between you and Luna." Yami had a big grin on his face. Dexter meanwhile was blushing to the point where his cheeks were a deep, crimson red. Luna meanwhile, was also blushing and smiling at Dexter who was now looking down out of embarrassment.

"Wait, a card you own was sent to the graveyard! That means you receive 300 points of damage." Just as the blast of the Trap Card was heading towards Yami, it suddenly repelled of a big dark portal with feathers flying around it. Yami started glowing a dim green. "What is happening here?!" His opponent asked puzzled. "I activated the effect of my Damage Mage. When I take damage from a card effect, I can special summon Damage Mage and gain Life points equal to the amount of damage I would receive."

2800 / 3300

"Now, go Damage Mage, come out!" A Magician with a cloak covering his head appeared and spread his wings. One black, one white.

"I synchro summon Avenging Knight Parshath!" A tall Knight with the lower body of a Pegasus came out of the gigantic burst of light surrounding Yami's monsters. It spread its wings and held its shining blade into the air. "Now, I activate my Equip Card, UNITED WE STAND!" Yami's monsters started glowing brightly. "For each monster I control, my Parshath gains 600 attack points. I control two monsters, so that's a wapping bonus of 1200 attack points!" "N-no, this can't be! 3800 a-attack points?!" Kyle stuttered. "You heard right! But I'm not done yet! I activate the special ability of my Parshath. I can change your Monster into defense position!" The monarch on

the other side of the field kneed down and crossed his arms to protect himself. "Now, go Parshath, attack!" The Knight spread his Pegasus-Wings and took off. He came down, crushing the opponent's monster in a big, very bright explosion. "When I destroy one of your Monsters, the difference between the attack of my parshath and the defense of your monster is inflicted to you as damage!"

2800 / 500

"And now, since I destroyed your monster while it was equipped with a card, you get 300 damage for both of those cards!" The blast of his own Trap Card hits the enemy and his Life points reach zero.

2800 / 0

"YEEEEES!" Leo cried. "Way to go, Yami!" Jack cheered and put a hand on Yami's shoulder. "That was a really nice play at the end. Great job, Yami!" Yusei said while smiling. "Well done, Yami." Kyle said and they shook hands. "That was a great match." Yami nodded. "Thanks. I'm looking forward to advancing to the next level. Yami looked in Jaden's direction. "And I hope my friend can do the same as I just did."

Once Jaden was all set, it was time to duel. He looked across the field at the tall, black haired man. "Let's do this!" Jaden shouted out with enthusiasm. "DUEL!" Both of them shouted. "This is gonna be awesome!" Leo cried with excitement. "Sshhhhhh, be quiet Leo. The duel is starting." Luna responded to his loud cheering.

"I'll go first. My draw!" Jaden drew a card and smiled. "First I play Gem-Knight Fusion! Now I fuse My Gem-Knight Garnet and my Gem-Knight Obsidian to create..." Suddenly gemstones started shooting out of the ground. Mainly rubies. Out of them, a scythe-wielding warrior in maroon red armor appeared "...Gem-Knight Ruby!" The warrior Jaden just summoned spinned his scythe and got ready to attack. "But I'm not done yet. The effect of my

Obsidian allows me to special summon one Normal Type Gem-Knight monster from my graveyard! Come back, Garnet!" An orange beam of light ejected out of Jaden's graveyard and a creature, just as tall as the Gem-Knight currently on the field, appeared. "I set one more card facedown. Now it's your turn Kyle!"  
"All right then, my turn. I draw!" Kyle looked at his card and then looked at Jaden who was smiling confidently at him. "First I play the Spell card Soul Taker! It allows me to destroy one of your face-up monsters, but in change you gain 1000lp." A hand flew out of the hologram of the Spell Card and ripped the soul out of Jaden's monster.

5000 / 4000

"Now I summon my Goblin Elite Attack Force!" A brigade of tall standing Goblins in shining silver armor appeared. "Now, go! Destroy his Garnet!" The brigade suddenly narrowed down Jaden's Monster and started striking it with their swords until it eventually went down and shattered into oblivion.

4700 / 4000

"Now, because my Goblin Attack Force attacked one of your monsters, I have to change them into defense position. I set two cards facedown and end my turn." "Awwwww, dang it! Jaden's monster just got out and he destroyed it!" Leo complained. "Leo, we saw it..." Luna said, annoyed of Leo's constant crying and complaining. "My turn." Jaden said and drew a card. "First I use the effect of my Gem-Knight Fusion. By banishing one Gem-Knight Monster from my graveyard, I can get it back to my hand!" The card re-appeared in Jaden's hand.

"AWESOME!" Leo cried out, completely oblivious of what Luna told him, just a few seconds ago. "Leo! Be quiet!" Luna responded. "Oh, yeah. I'm sorry..." Leo said guilty. "Yusei, what do you think he's going to do now? You know, since his field is pretty much empty, and he only has a few cards in his hand." Luna whispered to Yusei. "I'm not so sure Luna. It's definitely not looking good for Jaden right now. He still might have the upper hand on Life points,

but that won't last long if Kyle proceeds to gain even more control over the field." Yusei whispered back. Akiza, who heard every word, went over to Luna. "Don't worry Luna, Jaden was in situations like this before. He'll manage to turn it around, one way or another." Akiza whispered to Luna. Back at the duel, Jaden's turn was already over. He set one more card facedown and then ended his turn. "Now, time to get things a bit more...heated." Kyle smiled confidently. "No... He's going for his Monarch again. That means..." Yami thought, thinking back to his duel with Kyle. "I tribute my Goblin Elite Attack Force to summon my

Thestalos, the Firestorm Monarch!" The tall standing Monarch appeared out of a tall pillar of fire. "Now the effect of my Thestalos allows me to discard one card from your hand." Jaden started to look a bit worried. He knew what's going to happen next. "But I'm not done yet! I activate my Skull Invitation!" A card from Jaden's hand was discarded to the graveyard. "And since it was a Level 4 Monster card, you get 400 points of damage, plus the 300 points of damage from my Skull Invitation!" Jaden grinded his teeth. "That's Jaden's lead gone. Just as I said" Yusei said. "It's definitely not looking good for him... Hmm..." Akiza responded with a worried tone.

4000 / 4000

"Now, go Thestalos! Attack him directly!" Kyle's monster directed its hands toward Jaden and a big blast of fire hit him. "Arrghhh..." Jaden said, trying to use his arms to defend himself from the fire. "I play my facedown Mystical Space Typhoon! Now I can destroy one Spell or Trap card on the field. And I choose to destroy your Skull Invitation!" Wind started blowing, becoming stronger and eventually Kyle's Trap card shattered into oblivion.

1600 / 4000

"NO! JADEEEN!" Leo cried out. "LEO!" Luna responded, furiously to her brother. "Calm down, Luna. It's not the time to start a fight with your brother. Let's just hope Jaden somehow gets out of this." Yusei told her. "I end my turn." Kyle said, smiling confidently at Jaden. "My turn! I summon my Gem-Armadillo! It effect allows me to add one Gem-Knight Monster from my Deck to my Hand. And I choose my Gem-Knight Alexandrite!" Jaden added the card to his hand and his face brightened up. "Now, once again, I play my Spell Card Gem-Knight Fusion! This time, I fuse my Gem-Armadillo and my Gem-Knight Alexandrite to summon..." Suddenly the ground started cracking. "GEM-KNIGHT ZIRCONIA!" The ground broke apart and out of it, a gigantic creature with a cape jumped out. Unlike the other Gem-Knights, it didn't have a weapon with it. Only its ginormous, bare fists. "2900 attack points... That sure is a lot." Kyle further analyzed Jaden's monster. "And I'm not even done yet! Now I equip my Zirconia with the Equip Spell Invigoration! The monster equipped with it gains 400 attack points, but it loses 200 defense points. That makes 3300 attack points!"

"And he's back! I knew he wasn't going to give up so easily!" Jack said proudly. "Now, go Zirconia. Destroy his Monarch!" Jaden's monster took a big leap into the air, and came crushing down on Kyle's monster.

1600 / 3100

"Argh...I activate my face down. Grave of Enkindling. This card allows each of us to special summon one monster from our graveyards in face-up defense position. But the position of the monster cannot be changed. "Jaden knew exactly what he was going to do now. "I choose my Thestalos." Kyle said, and his monarch reappeared in defense position. "I choose my Gem Armadillo!" Jaden's monster, he just used for the Fusion Summon of Zirconia this turn, returned to the field in defense position. "Armadillo only has 500 defense points. Why did he choose him over Obsidian who has 1200?" Leo asked Yusei curiously. "I think he's trying to do a second fusion summon this turn. Let's wait and see." Yusei inevitably was right.

"Now I play my Trap Card! Pyroxene Fusion!" Jaden shouted out. "What? You're summoning a Monster in your Battle Phase?!" Kyle made an observation, with his face turning more and more worried as the seconds passed.

"That's right! Now I fuse my Gem-Knight Garnet from my hand and my Gem Armadillo on the field to summon another Gem-Knight Ruby!" The same creature as before, with his maroon red armor and his scythe appeared. "Now, when my Ruby attacks a monster in defense position, he inflicts damage equal to the difference between his attack and the monsters defense!" Kyle started grinding his teeth out of anger. "Go Ruby! Destroy his Thestalos!" Jaden's Gem-Knight destroyed Kyle's monster with his Scythe and the degree of the attack hit Kyle.

1600 / 1600

"Now they're equal on Life points." Akiza noted and Yusei nodded. "Yes. Just with Yami, it will come down to who gets his big plays faster. It might look good for Jaden now, but it Kyle could turn it around at any given moment." Yusei said. "I end my turn." Jaden said. "All right, my turn. I draw!" Kyle didn't look so confident. He knew he had to do something against Jaden's monsters. Otherwise, Jaden was going to use Ruby's special ability to bring Kyle down, just by attacking through his monsters. "I set one card facedown. I end my turn." Kyle let Jaden have control over the field. He had no other choice. "My turn. I draw!" Jaden was extremely confident now. He felt like nothing could go wrong.

"All right then! I play my Spell Card Into the Void. Now I can draw another card, but I have to discard my entire hand in my End Phase." Jaden was sure that nothing could stop him from winning now. So he drew a card and went all out, using his remaining resources to give Kyle the final b***. "Now, I play another Gem-Knight Fusion!" Jaden shouted out with a whole lot of confidence. "Now I fuse my Gem-Knight Tourmaline and my Volcanic Shell..." A small area of the ground started melting, and out of it a tall standing swordsmen, with a molten blade appeared. "..to form my Gem-Knight Citrine!"

"I play my Trap Card! Torrential Tribute!" Jaden went from confident to shocked. Kyle was just waiting for the moment that Jaden goes all out, and uses all of his cards. Now his field is empty and he has nothing to back him up. Perfect for Kyle. "No! I shouldn't have been so reckless..." Jaden knew this mistake could have potentially cost him the duel. "Well, pride comes before the fall, Jaden. Since you have only 1 card left in your hand, I assume it's my turn. Or isn't it?" Jaden looked over to his friends. They all had the same facial expression as him: A mix of shocked and extremely worried. It was looking bad for Jaden, really bad. Even Leo, who was cheering and shouting the entire game, was now quiet. Leo's silence was just another way to see how close Jaden was to actually loosing this duel, just because he didn't think about Kyle's back row. "I set one more card facedown. I end my turn.""Well, guess this is it for you Jaden. You played well, but your recklessly costs you the duel at the end. I draw!" Kyle basically had this duel. Jaden's field was completely Empty, and he was just about to swarm the field with monsters and finish him. "First, I use the effect of my Solar Wind Jammer to special summon it from my hand. Next I play the Spell Card, Double Summon! It allows me to normal summon twice this turn. And I summon my Fortress Warrior and my Hanewata!"

Yusei made an observation "That's 1500 attack points. That means, if Jaden doesn't do something in his next turn, it's going to be over for him." Akiza though, still had a bit of confidence in Jaden. "Yusei, Jaden still has two facedown cards. If he didn't play them, all the time till now, then they has to be something good." She responded. "You're right! See, you're a good duelist Akiza. I forgot about those two cards, but you didn't. You would have done better than me in a situation like this!" Akiza blushed. Yusei always said that she was a good duelist, but him saying that she would have done better than him was something completely new.

Back at the Duel, Kyle was burning with confidence. Jaden's hand was empty, and he had no monsters to protect him. "Now, go my monsters! Attack him directly!" All three of his monsters attacked Jaden directly, bringing his Life points down to only 100.

100 / 1600

"It's your turn, Jaden. You better do something now, or this duel will be over." Kyle said to Jaden, who didn't look that worried anymore. Did he have a plan?  
"First, I use the effects of both of my Gem-Knight Fusions in the graveyard. By banishing my Gem-Knight Zirconia and my Gem-Knight Citrine, I can bring them back to my hand." Leo looked a bit puzzled. "But, what is he going to do with no monsters to fuse?" Leo pulled on Yusei's jacket. "Just wait and see, Leo. Jaden knows what he's doing, and I think he has a plan." Yusei responded, and just as before, he was right. Jaden knew exactly what to do. "I activate my Trap Card! Return the different Dimension! By paying half my Life points, I can summon as many removed from play monsters as possible, ignoring all their summon conditions." Jaden shouted out with extreme confidence. Kyle made an observation. "But they will be removed from play in your end phase. So your field will be empty again." Kyle still had a pretty confident look on his face, considering that Jaden's field was going to be completely empty the next turn, and he only had 50 Life points left. "Just wait." Jaden responded.

50 / 1600

"Now, go my Gem-Knights! Destroy all of his Monsters! First you, Ruby. Destroy his Solar Wind Jammer!" Jaden's monster attacked Kyle's Solar Wind Jammer and destroyed it.

"I activate my Trap Card! If one of my monsters would be destroyed by battle, I can change all my other attack position monsters to defense position, and I gain 100 life points for each monster that is still on my field!" Kyle was still looking pretty confident. He knew Ruby was the only monster that had piercing damage. So he would survive and then next turn, Jaden's field would be empty, and he could finish him.

50 / 1800 50 / 100

"Now it's your turn, Citrine! Destroy his Fortress Warrior!" Jaden's monster hit Kyle's Fortress Warrior with its big molten sword, resulting in a big explosion. When the smoke was gone, it was still standing there. "You forgot about the special ability of my Fortress Warrior!" One per turn, if he would be destroyed, he's not!" This didn't keep Jaden from attacking on. "Zirconia, destroy his Hanewata!" The tallest of the Jaden's monsters took a big leap onto Kyle's small Hanewata, and crushed it with its sheer hands. "Once more, you recklessly went all out. But again, you still failed. You don't seem to learn from your mistakes." Kyle, who was still pretty confident, said to Jaden. "What did you say again? Pride comes before the fall? Oh well, guess that also counts for you! I play my face down! Pyroxene Fusion!" Kyle's face drastically changed. He had a bad feeling about this. "Now I fuse all my three Gem-Knights to form...!" The ground started shaking, and out of it, a shining, tall standing knight with a ginormous broadsword with gems, all over it, appeared. "... GEM-KNIGHT MASTER DIAMOND!" Jaden's monster got ready for battle. "Now, since my Master Diamond gains 100 attack for every Gem-Knight in my graveyard, his attack points rise to 3400!" Sweat was dropping from Kyle's face. It looked like he made the same mistake as Jaden did before. "Now, I use the special ability of my Master Diamond! By removing one Gem-Knight from play, he can gain its special ability till the End Phase! And I choose my Gem-Knight Ruby!" Jaden's tall standing monster started to glow a dim red. "Now, go Diamond! FINISH THIS!" The warrior's broadsword started glowing, and suddenly he disappeared. He reappeared in front of Kyle's monster and destroyed it in a ginormous, bright explosion.

50 / 0

Everyone cheered as they raced over and mobbed Jaden. Kyle came up and shook his hand as well. "Great duel," he complimented and they shook hands. They watched as Kyle signed the waiver to let them jump up the next level. As they all walked out, Kyle came up to them. "Hey you guys," he said. Jaden and Yami came up to him and he handed them some hundred dollar bills. "Wow! Thanks!" Jaden said and Yami thanked him too. "It's just due to the fact that I know where you guys are coming from and I wish you all the best." Everyone smiled and waved as Kyle walked down the street.

"Who wants dinner on me?" Jaden shouted and everyone cheered, as they headed for the best restaurant they could find.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed the Chapter and duel!**

**I thank you for all your support!**


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